A Different Kind of Brother
by Hayden Avery
Summary: Harry forms a soulbond with Ginny; the problem, she's ten years his junior, leaving a nineteen year old Harry to learn to adjust to a nine year old Ginny.  Like the relationship of Jacob and Renesmee, absolutely NO pedophilia.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer—No ownership at all, but one can hope that J.K will someday have a garage sale. **

**Important note to readers****—**Let it be clear that _**absolutely NO kind of romantic relationship **_will be taking place in this story** until Ginny is an **_**adult. **_ That being said view their relationship like that of Henry and Clare (from _The Time Traveler's Wife_) when he visits her as a child. Or most closely probably resembling that of Jacob and Renesmee in Twilight. As I stated previously they will be strictly platonic with a twist until she is much older. Keeping that in mind, please enjoy the story.

**A Different Kind of Brother**

Harry Potter at nineteen years old bore a lot of labels, an auror in training, boyfriend of Cho Chang, godson of Sirius Black, and mostly known, the Chosen One.

At nineteen he was around five eleven, with unruly black hair and bright green eyes. After realizing what a hindrance glasses could be in a duel if lost, he had taken a long term sight correcting potion at fourteen and as a result of the long and somewhat painful process, no longer needed them.

He sat at his desk across from his newly found friend Ron Weasley as they shifted through paper work. He and the red headed boy had met at intensive training and had become quick friends. Harry believed that had he been allowed to attend Hogwarts the two probably would have gotten along fabulously.

Harry Potter had not had many friends his own age, save his sister, being so isolated in childhood as he was home taught by Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Albus Dumbledore, he was no enjoying stretching his new wings of young adulthood even though the stress of Voldemort still loomed over his head, despite nothing being heard from the dark wizard in the eighteen years since he met what many believed to be his end at the Potter's.

Sirius still checked in on him every day making some excuse or another for his arrival, excuses Harry saw right through but didn't mind, he knew how hard it was on the old dog to have Harry out on his own.

Besides, Harry's apartment was the most strongly warded place in Britain save Hogwarts. Sirius with the help of Remus and Dumbledore had put up every protection and intruder charm known to man. The four of them were the only ones who could even enter the place.

As the release bell rang the two boys hopped up rather like school children so thankful to be able to leave work as soon as six.

"So what are you doing tonight?" Ron asked as he gathered his cloak by the door.

Harry thought about it, probably having a small dinner by himself in his apartment and then trying to get some sleep instead of constantly tossing and turning exhaustedly but restlessly as he often did.

Outwardly he just replied, "Oh not much, you?"

"Having dinner with my parents. Just me and them, you know Mum's been about going spare since I moved out. Good thing she still has Ginny." Ron laughed.

"Ginny?" Harry looked over at Ron.

"My sister."

"Oh, didn't know you even had a sister, blimey Ron how many siblings do you got? She at Hogwarts?"

"Nah she's only nine. And I only have six siblings, that's really not that many...if you think about it."

Harry thought about that doing some quick mental math as they headed out of the Auror department.

"Wait she's nine, don't you have a brother that's like twenty eight or something? Bit of an age difference, how old were your parents when they had her?"

"Well she was a bit of a surprise, and besides you know witches can have children later in life than Muggles."

Harry nodded, and then to a bit of his embarrassment his stomach growled.

"Hungry?" Ron laughed.

Harry nodded as they walked through the atrium. "Say Harry, you want to come to my folk's place for dinner. My Mum is a great cook and she makes enough food for ten. I'm sure they would love to meet you."

Harry thought about his pitiful supply of one can of Ramyun noodles and decided to take Ron up on his offer. Sirius would disapprove, but then again Sirius wanted Harry to live in a padded room guarded by Dumbeldore for the rest of his life, or just short of that anyway. Besides, the Weasleys had all been in the order, he highly doubted they would hand him over to Voldemort for a resurrection ceremony during dessert.

After that deliberation he turned towards Ron who was waiting for an answer, "Yeah sure mate, that would be great. You positive your Mum won't mind?" He asked, not wanting to intrude.

"Are you kidding me, she'll be delighted. She loves having more people to smother—I mean mother." Ron caught himself.

And so the two of them departed for the Burrow, neither having any idea of the repercussions this would have on the rest of Harry's life.

They arrived at the front door and Mrs. Weasley immediately took her youngest son in her arms giving him a firm hug before noticing they had company.

"Who is this you have brought with you Ronald?"

"Oh, Mum this is Harry, one of my friends from work. He was just going to spend tonight alone and I invited him to join us, I hope you don't mind."

Mrs. Weasley looked over at the green eyed boy immediately recognizing him as Harry Potter but deciding not to comment on it as she did not wish to make him feel uncomfortable about his fame.

"No that's fine, besides the more the merrier! Now Ron if you could be so kind as to go get your father out of the shed. Merlin knows what he out there tinkering with, that fool Muggle obsession of his." Mrs. Weasley shook her head at her husbands antics as Ron left to go retrieve the dear old Mr. Weasley.

"You have your mother's eyes you know." Mrs. Weasley smiled kindly.

Harry smiled back, he had been surprised when she did not comment that he was Harry Potter. Surprised but rather glad, it was refreshing.

"Thank you, you have a lovely house."

"Oh this old thing," Mrs. Weasley waved her hand around her dismissively but nevertheless smiled at the complement.

So far she liked this boy, he was not at all the conceited, arrogant fool Severus depicted at school during meetings about the twins trouble. But then again it was _Severus_.

At that moment a tiny red headed girl came bounding down the stairs, taking two at a time despite her pint-sized stature.

"Mum is Ron really coming?" She asked excitedly and quickly, not noticing Harry's presence behind her.

"Yes dear, now don't be rude we have a guest." Molly nodded towards the nineteen year old.

Ginny turned and stared at him with wide, light brown eyes, like the color of milk chocolate. Her uniquely tomato red hair tied in a bun, it was more red than the more orange shade of her siblings and parents.

She really was an adorable little girl, but she looked as if she was six instead of nine with her petiteness.

"Hello my name is Ginevra Molly Annette Weasley, but you can just call me Ginny, everyone else does." The little girl held out her hand with a large smile.

"Harry James Potter, but you can just call me Harry, everybody else does." Harry mimicked the funny little girl.

She gasped a bit at the revelation of Harry's identity but recovered quickly and what she would have said next was lost on the both of them as when Harry took her hand to shake, the whole world went black and both passed out cold on the floor.

Mrs. Weasley rushed over to them, dinner burning on the stove.

"Ennervate, ennervate, dammit why isn't this working. ARTHUR, ARTHUR!"

**Shortly Afterwards, Hogwarts Infirmary**

It was lucky it there was currently no Hogwart's student in the ward, a rare occurrence indeed, as Ginny Weasley, now Potter although no one knew it, and Harry Potter were rushed into the infirmary.

"What exactly happened?" Albus intoned after Poppy had done a quick evaluation and shockingly found absolutely nothing physically wrong with the pair, but had discovered some strange, although powerful and certainly light magic at work. The only question now was exactly _what magic _was this.

"We were all just sitting there, and Ginny introduced herself. Harry and her shook hands and then they collapsed on the floor immediately."

"That's all?" The old wizard asked.

Molly nodded tearfully being held by a worried Arthur standing beside a puzzled Ron.

"Did they collapse on the moment of skin contact?"

"Yes."

"One so young...and such an age difference." Albus said quietly to himself, his face loosing color. On other circumstance he would consider this a blessing, which perhaps it would one day grow to become, but right now as a child this would just add yet another burden to Harry and he didn't even know what to Ginny.

"Albus what is happening?" Arthur finally spoke up.

"Let us wait until Mr. Potter awakes, it should be any moment now and he needs to hear this. I will explain everything then."

Arthur nodded.

"Will they be alright?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"They will be physically fine, but I'm afraid this will have a long reaching impact on the both of them."

He raised his hand to stave off any more questions, "When Harry awakes."

They didn't have to wait to long, as Albus predicted both Harry and Ginny woke only a few moment later. Both awoke with cries of pain.

Molly immediately rushed over to soothe Ginny but Albus had already put her under a sleeping spell before she reached her bedside.

Upon noting the matriarch's panicked look he explained, "I put her under a sleeping spell."

He turned to Harry who was grimacing but holding in his screams, "Ginny's hand."

He looked questioningly at the headmaster but obeyed, reaching across the way to the be beside him and taking the nine year old's hand.

His pain immediately vanished.

"I will explain everything in my office," Dumbledore went on before anyone else could question him.

"Harry why don't you carry young Ginny, be sure to keep contact with her or the pain will return, one again I will explain when we reach my office." Dumbledore went on upon seeing several mouths open to begin their interrogations.

Harry obeyed although warily and the six of them made their way to the office.

Settling in their chairs, Harry made sure to keep hold of Ginny's hand as the burning pain he had experience in the hospital wing was not a feeling he wished to relive.

"What exactly is going on Albus?" Arthur began.

Dumbledore took off his glasses tiredly, and did a quick spell over Harry and Ginny to confirm his suspicions.

He was right, as the pair was engulfed in a strong golden glow.

"What in Merlin's name?"

"I solemnly swear by my magic that everything I am about to tell you is the truth as I know it, I swear this to all people in this room and it is a binding magical oath."

The room lit blue from Albus's wand as the oath took place.

"Albus what—" Molly started, shocked at what could be so serious for him to go under oath just to tell them.

Albus once again held up his hand.

"Are any of you familiar with soul bonds?"

"Soul bonds, aren't those a myth?" Ron spoke up for the first time.

"No they most certainly are not. Very rare, hasn't been one in quite a while, but when true soul mates meet they occur. True soul mates however are exceptionally rare, but not a myth. When they occur the recipients upon first contact, according to all records of one, experience a brief loss of unconsciousness."

Harry already seeing where this was going started shaking his head, all color gone from his face. "No, no, no, you've got to be joking...she's nine years old. NINE DAMN YEARS OLD ALBUS!"

"I realize that Mr. Potter, but age regardless your souls are no merged. You two are legally married." Albus said seriously, gazing at Harry with a very solemn expression.

"I DON'T GIVE A FLYING SHIT, SHE"S A BLOODY CHILD! WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM, SOME KIND OF PERVERT PEDOPHILIAC !" Harry burst out, releasing Ginny's hand only for a moment to gasp in pain and then grab it quickly again.

"I am sorry Harry but it's the truth. And although I know it is little comfort, a physical relationship you can, and must put off until she is an adult."

"Obviously." Harry said bitterly.

Molly and Arthur who had been too shocked to speak finally intervened.

"There's no reversal, surely this can be stopped." Molly asked desperately.

"I'm afraid there is nothing we can do, besides being impossible to break any intervention with the bond would result in the death of the bonded."

Molly broke down in sobs at this, Arthur tried his best to comfort her.

Ron just sat quietly in the corner, he didn't know what to say and had learned when that happened to simply shut up, something his current girl friend Hermione Granger had taught him.

"Why am I in so much pain when we aren't touching?" Harry finally asked after a couple minutes of silence only being broken by the noise of Mrs. Weasley's sobbing. Needless to say it had been an awkward few minutes.

"That is only temporary. Just for the next twenty four hours you and Ginny will have to be in constant contact. After that you two will only need to be in contact for about eight hours, so basically just at night during your sleep."

"JUST AT NIGHT! EVERY NIGHT?" Harry asked, yelling once again.

"I'm afraid so, but it will be manageable."

"Manageable? _Manageable! _How is that manageable?" Harry was on the verge of shouting again.

"Harry, I realize this is difficult, but your temper won't make it easier." Albus sent him a warning look. Ignoring him Harry went on.

What happens if we don't?" he asked, clutching his head with one hand, the other still holding Ginny's.

"Don't what?" Arthur asked.

"Keep contact every night?"

"Well, both of you will be in considerable pain and die within a few weeks." Dumbledore said bluntly.

"So in other words you will go through with this." Arthur spoke up with an unusual steel in his voice.

"I didn't ask for this to happen." Harry said harshly.

"And she did?" Arthur responded just as venomously.

"Stop, the both of you. This is unfortunate, but unavoidable and irrevocable. Arthur I'm sorry your daughter will have to bear such a fate but Mr. Potter is not to blame and he is struggling with this just as much as yourself. The two of you will be in each other's lives a great deal in the time to come so I expect you grow accustomed to each other."

Arthur nodded stonily at Harry who returned the gesture.

"Now for arrangements."

Harry broke down into angry tears at this finally, "I can't do this. She's nine years old dammit! Why is it always me! Why?" he said sounding very much the angry teenager he really was.

Albus reached out to place a hand on the angry young man's shoulder, "It'll be alright Harry, you'll see."

"HOW WILL IT BE _ALRIGHT_ WHEN MY _WIFE _IS NINE!" Harry spat.

"Simple, don't be a husband to her. Let her be your little sister or even daughter if you like, there is such a thing as platonic love, find if with her until the time is right. You will find you have no romantic interest in others now, and neither will she when she is older, and when she is an adult you two will find each other perfect for one another. Just be patient, a soul mate is a rare thing, and while it may seem this way now, it is not a curse but a blessing. Be the best big brother you can be and when the time comes then she can be your wife."

Harry dried his tears on his sleeve quickly saying nothing.

Arthur looked over at the young man feeling pity, Harry really had not asked for this stressful and difficult situation.

"We'll support you," Arthur said quietly but sincerely, "Every step of the way," A red eyed Molly added.

"Thanks, and I'm sorry for..everything." Harry looked over at the older couple.

"Don't worry about it lad, it's not your fault."

Harry gave them a weak smile and then was unable to stifle the large yawn that escaped him.

"Well why don't you come back to the burrow tonight with us? We'll worry about the details in the morning." Molly said.

"No, the burrow is not warded well enough, and Sirius would never forgive me if I let Harry stay anywhere not warded to well enough to keep out Merlin himself." Dumbledore joked with a sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry Molly but Ginny will need to return back with Harry to his apartment for the night." Albus continued.

Molly looked upset at this but did not protest.

"Why don't you two come with me, I have an extra room and I'm sure Ginny will be worried when she wakes up. She'll need you two to explain things." Harry added hastily.

"Alright." Arthur agreed, much relieved that they would not be simply sending her of alone with the boy they barely knew.

As they left the office, Harry carrying Ginny while Arthur and Molly walked ahead Ron stepped over to Harry.

"Don't try anything with my sister mate." Ron told him in a hard voice.

"She's nine," Harry said disgustedly. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"I'm sorry," and Ron truly looked as he glanced around the halls with a lost expression on his face.

"I just...I dunno, didn't think I would have to say that for another six years. Well this is just all so bloody weird, I don't know what to do."

"You're telling me." Harry said, and Ron clapped him on the back supportively as they headed to apparation point.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer—Refer to Chapter One**

Ron apparated away as soon as they reached the outside of the gate, Harry looked over through the darkness at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"I'll have to take you by side along, you cannot get through the wards unless you're with me." Harry told them, Arthur nodded his consent.

"Why do you need wards that strong—oh, ridiculous question, never mind." Mrs. Weasley said, remembering exactly who she was talking to about halfway through her sentence.

Harry chuckled at that and took Mr. Weasley's hand as the five of them apparated to Harry's flat in London.

It was not a large flat, the furniture was scarce. Just a couch in the sitting room, a few pieces of cooking utensils in the kitchen with a small table and mismatched chairs in the breakfast nook. There was only one bathroom, and both of the bedrooms simply comprised of queen sized beds with a small nightstand beside them.

There were no decorations which assured Mrs. Weasley that he did not have a girlfriend, or at least a serious one. Which made her feel slightly better as this situation was already far too awkward.

Ginny slept all the way through apparation.

"So..." Harry started, not really knowing what to say or do, so he simply let that statement hang.

"Right, well why don't Arthur and I take the spare room and..." Mrs. Weasley didn't know what to say after that either.

Arthur took a long sigh, "I suppose you and Ginny can sleep in your bedroom. Since the two of you have to keep contact for the next while here."

Harry nodded thankful someone had finally said what the elephant in the room was.

"Alright well I myself am pretty exhausted, why don't we go ahead and turn in." Mrs. Weasley went on, trying to help some with the poor boy's extreme discomfort with the entire situation.

"Okay, yeah I guess that would be for the best." Harry mumbled.

With that they went on to their respective rooms, completely foregoing the nighttime routine Harry simply climbed into bed. He placed Ginny beneath the sheets and comforter while he himself stayed on top of it.

He thought that made it less strange, although not much. Facing her sleeping form he still had her hand in his, and he stretched his long arm out to be as far away from her as possible while still keeping contact.

He stared at her tiny face for a long while, not receiving any sleep for a long time that night.

In the other bedroom Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were in a similar state of unrest.

"We have to try to help him, the poor childs only nineteen Arthur. And to be put through this?"

"I know Molly dear. I know, but how?"

"I don't know love, I just don't know." Molly dissolved into tears for the third time that night.

"Oh my baby...my little baby." She cried while Arthur stroked her hair.

"We'll get through this Mollywobbles. I know it's hard, but at least Harry seems like an alright fellow. I know it's hard." He repeated.

"I just never thought I would be able to say I have a _son-in-law _this year, well unless one of the boys had some really unexpected news."

Molly smiled slightly at Arthur's attempt of a joke.

She took a deep breath, "Harry's going to have to almost raise her with as much as we'll be absent and he'll be present because of this bond."

"I know, but we'll help him." Arthur gave her a determined look in the darkness.

"But how are they going to transition in ten years from being almost father and daughter or at least elder brother and sister to being husband and wife?" Molly asked, clearly distressed as she could not picture such a relationship herself.

"You know Albus told me as we were leaving that there hasn't been a soul bond in three hundred years. That's how rare true soul mates really are. I don't know how they'll work it out dear, but I'm sure they'll find a way. Besides right now I'm more worried about the ten years to come then I am about what will happen then."

"True." Molly replied, Arthur always knew what so say to make life seem lighter to her, that was why they had married so long.

The ten years to come would hold many trials indeed.

**Please Review, if you are going to put this on story alert then please review at least once. **

**Short Chapter I realize, but I am a very frequent updater. **

**All of you said in your reviews that you were apprehensive about beginning this story, understandably so. If any of you have any suggestions to make the summary of this story more concise and explanatory (keeping in mind it only allows for 255 characters) please let me know as I don't want this story to be skipped over because readers perceive it be something it's not. **

**Cartman1701—This story will go all the way until Ginny is nineteen. Yes there will be some time skipped but I will not entirely skip over her childhood because I want to show that dynamic of her as a young girl and Harry as an adult while they try to deal with a confusing relationship. However there will be no romantic interaction between the two of them until she is much older, at **_**least**_** late teens. Thanks for reviewing. **

**Arielgenevieve—Yes all those will be conflicts in this story, the public reaction being one of the biggest. But when has life ever been easy for Harry? Thanks for reviewing. **

**Eros Amor Black—Yes I completely agree with you about the descriptiveness, I wrote chapter one at two in the morning and just kind of wrote whatever popped into my head; hence the almost pure dialogue content. I have gone back and edited it slightly but to me it still feels inadequate, but I always feel that the first chapter of any story I write is the worst. From now on though you will see greater detailed chapters as I will write them when I am coherent. Thanks for reviewing. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer—I wish**

The next morning Harry awoke with a crick in his neck and a warmth radiating from the little person that was burrowed into his side.

He looked down at the small child who had somehow during the night shifted over so that she was snuggled into Harry's side with her head propped on his shoulder for her pillow.

Harry tried to gently get out of bed so not to wake her, when he shifted out of bed keeping their hands intertwined she grabbed the pillow in his absence and hugged it to her like a teddy bear.

He looked around, he wanted Molly and Arthur with him when he talked to her.

He smelled the delicious smell of breakfast wafting in from his tiny kitchen. Decision made, he scooped up the little nine year old and carried her into the kitchen where Arthur sat at the little table reading the daily prophet and Molly bustled about the kitchen.

"I went back to the burrow to fetch some materials so we could have breakfast today dear." Molly smiled at him as he entered the kitchen.

"Oh—Um, thank you Mrs. Weasley." Harry smiled, it was truly a thoughtful thing for her to do he thought.

"You can call me Molly." She nodded towards her new son-in-law.

Harry sat still sleeping Ginny down in a chair besides him and still holding her hand reached out for a morning coffee.

"So what do you normally eat for breakfast dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Well usually I just grab some coffee on my way out."

Harry looked over at the motherly woman in her apron, Arthur had yet to say anything other than offering a strained smile when Harry entered the kitchen.

"Well that just cannot be healthy, breakfast is rather important you know." Mrs. Weasley went on.

Ginny still had the pillow form his bedroom which she was hugging tightly to her unconscious form while Harry sat beside her holding her other hand.

"This is a rather nice apartment you have here." Arthur said.

"Um, Thanks." Harry knew his apartment was plain and highly lacking in any thing personal so he didn't know what to make out of the comment.

All three of them were lost for words as they grasped for something to say, Arthur pretending to read the prophet, Molly nervously around the room as she cooked their omlets, and Harry wishing he could just melt into the floor. Ginny was still just holding her pillow burrowing her head into it.

Their awkward silence was interrupted by the appearance of a brown owl, Ron's owl.

The bird flew right over to Harry and sat in front of him on the table holding out it's parcel for him to take.

He took the letter off and read what it had to say.

_Hey Mate,_

_Hope you're holding out okay. I told Smith you would be taking a couple days off, didn't tell him about ...you know because I figured you wouldn't want that to get out. Anyways I just told him you were really ill and would need the rest of the week. He wasn't happy but when is Smith happy about anything. So don't worry about work, I'll keep everything running. _

_Hope you can work things out,_

_Ron_

Harry smiled at the letter, Ron really was a good bloke.

He looked up at the curious gazes of Arthur and Molly.

"It's Ron, he was just telling me that he sorted everything out at work so I don't need to worry about that. Got our boss to give me the rest of the week to work everything out, he told him I was sick." Harry explained.

"Oh, that's wonderful. Ron is really growing into a thoughtful young man. I think it's this new girl Hermione he's dating now. We haven't met her yet but I already like her much better than that Lavendar he was seeing before." Molly said, clearly happy with the maturity her youngest son was beginning to show.

"Hermione Granger? Yeah, I've heard about her. Apparently she got like twelve N.E.W.T.s or something." Harry said, happy for some less strained conversation.

Arthur finally put down his newspaper, "Well what are we going to tell Ginny?"

Harry and Molly looked over at him surprised he was being so sudden.

Finally recovering Harry spoke first, "Well, if it's alright with you I think it's for the best that we don't tell her the full extent of the soul bond. I just feel it would be too strange and confusing for her to know that we're legally...married."

"I agree with Harry." Molly said, impressed with the insight the nineteen year old was showing.

"Yes but she's not always going to be nine. When she's older and she looks up a soul bond in the Hogwart's library how do you think she'll react?" Arthur made a good point.

"I know, maybe let's not tell her it's a soul bond at all. We could just say that's it was the aftermath of some kind of spell gone wrong. I don't know...improvise, I'm sure we can come up with something." Molly suggested.

"Yes but _someday_ she _is _going to find out, and when she does don't you think she will feel betrayed when she discovers we have all been deceiving her."

"Why don't we explain the bond, we don't have to exactly tell her it is a soul bond per say, we can just explain the basics of it, excluding the romantic bits of it." Harry said.

"I suppose, that sounds reasonable." Arthur conceded.

"Alright, well with that settled, how are we going to go about telling everyone?"

"Well we really need to keep this quiet, people—they...they won't react well." Harry said imploringly.

The adults flinched at the reminder of the scandal this could be seen as, but nodded.

"I was merely talking about our family. No one else." Molly clarified.

"Yeah, I understand." Harry said.

All the sudden Harry stood up and then blushed bright red.

"What's the matter dear?" Molly asked.

"Um—I, well I have to—I need to use the restroom." Harry finally stammered out.

"Well what's the matt—Oh." Harry looked down to his and sleeping Ginny's intertwined hands and Mrs. Weasley understood.

"Well there's a charm, no worries. It's what healers use for patient who are unable to...well just let me grab my wand." Molly rambled.

After that was taken care of, a thoroughly embarrassed Harry sat down just wishing he could disappear.

"The omelets are ready," Mrs. Weasley announced, brining out hot plates of breakfast to everyone, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Ginny dear wake up." Arthur shook her shoulder.

She just mumbled incoherently in her sleep, "The unicorns are waiting, five more minutes Mum." she muttered sticking her face further into Harry's pillow she had unconsciously taken from his room that morning.

"Wake up Gin darling." Molly urged, and the nine year old finally opened her large brown eyes.

**If you are going to put this on either story alert/favorite story then please review, even if it is just a simple, I like it, it is still appreciated and motivating. **

**atriedies—Thanks for reviewing **

**fredasally—Thanks for reviewing **

**Moneystine—Thanks, that was what I was aiming for as the soul bond genre is highly crowded so I wanted something original to add to it. **

**Ahlat—Thanks for reviewing.**

**Cartman1701—Glad you liked this chapter, thanks for updating.**

**benperez31—Yes, this is a very different back ground for Harry than cannon. But don't worry you'll find all the answers to your questions within the next couple chapters. Thanks so much for reviewing. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer—Not even a little bit.**

Ginny looked around at her strange surroundings, "Mum, where are we?"

"We're at Harry's flat Ginny-love." Arthur answer. Ginny then looked over at him.

"Who's Harry?" She asked, clearly not remembering her brief encounter with him the previous night.

_Your husband _was the unspoken thought that went around the table of the three uncomfortable adults.

"The young man you met last night Gin? Don't you remember?" Molly asked.

"Oh yeah, Harry James Potter?" She mimicked the way he had said his entire name last night when he introduced himself.

"Yep, that's me." Harry said, speaking up for the first time. Ginny turned to look at the guest she had previously overlooked.

"Why are you holding my hand?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Er—" Harry didn't know what to say, put on the spot by a nine year old.

"Well dear...you see, he—" Mrs. Weasley struggled for how she wanted to explain this.

"Ginny-love, you and Harry have a kind of magic between you, this magic is causing the two of you to have to hold hands for the day today. It's only temporary. This magic though..." Mr. Weasley gave a good beginning of an explanation but then lost his direction.

"You see, this magic is going to cause us to be a big part of each other's lives for a long, long time. I'm going to be like another big brother." Harry tried to explain.

"Will you visit more often than my other brothers? They don't really come see me very much?" The nine year old innocently asked, playing with the edge of her long jumper that had belonged to Ron.

"Yeah, we'll see each other everyday." Harry earnestly promised since they had to see each other every day because of the bond anyway.

"Good." The little girl smiled a positively adorable smile. Finally a brother that she would actually spend some time with, Ron was the only one that ever visited her. Fred and George sometimes.

"But why do we have to hold hands? What does the magic do if we don't?" Ginny asked curiously.

"It'll hurt very badly, we don't have to hold hands for long though. Just for today." Harry explained, not wanting to relive the pain from earlier in the hospital wing.

"Why did this magic happen to us? I've never heard about anything like this happening to other people, having to hold hands."

"Um—"

No one knew what to say, they had agreed not to tell her they were soul mates, surprisingly it was Harry who had the quick thinking and improvised. Surprisingly because he had always been awkward in matters like this and he barely knew the child.

"This happened to us because the magic knew that you and I are supposed to be very good friends, and this is just the magic's way of making sure we get to know each other."

Arthur and Molly nodded their heads, thankful that the young man had been able to think of something so quickly.

Ginny furrowed her brow, "That makes sense. Another brother...and here I thought six was enough."

Molly and Arthur chuckled at that, and even Harry grinned a little. Ginny asked Harry questions about himself through out breakfast to get to know her new older brother.

"What is your favorite color?"

"Um—Red I guess."

"Why is Red your favorite color?"

"What do you mean why is Red my favorite color? It just is." Harry asked bemusedly.

"Well bright Green is my favorite color and I like it because it's very cheerful. And it doesn't make me look strange with my hair like pink does when I wear it. And because your eyes are green."

Ginny began listing all these things off.

Harry looked at her bewilderedly, "Well I suppose I like red because they are Gryffindor colors, my Mum's hair was red...um—your hair is red, my sister Heather's hair is red—"

"You have a sister?"

"Yeah, Heather, she's a couple years older than me."

"Can I meet her?"

"Yeah, I'm sure she would like to meet you."

"Really? Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would she like to meet me?"

"I—I don't know, I just think she would."

"I would like to meet her because she's your sister and she also has red hair like I do and because I like the name Heather." Ginny explained.

"Okay."

Harry was quickly learning that Ginny was currently going through a stage where everything, and he meant _everything _had to have a reason.

Molly and Arthur just ate silently watching the two. The little nine year old was going to teach him patience, he would learn the art of father hood from his someday wife.

Which honestly was a little strange but then again so was this entire situation.

"So, like Quidditch?" Harry asked.

Ginny's face immediately brightened up at this but her mother interrupted her before she could speak.

"Oh no, Ginny's much too young and fragile for flying. That's best left to the boys."

Ginny's face looked disappointed and rather gloomy at that, something which Harry took note of and decided to ask her again sometime her mother was not around.

"I can handle anything the boys can!" Ginny said defiantly, her face set determinedly.

"Dear there are just some things that are not for girls, it's just not ladylike."

"Someday I'm going to either be an Auror like Ron or a Holyhead Harpy, but Mum says those are both jobs that are really for boys." Ginny told Harry later on when Molly was putting away the dishes.

Harry wasn't sure it was his place, but he felt bad for the little girl who wanted to be able to be her own person, not defined by her six brothers. He related to that, always being defined by the 'boy who lived.'

"Well then you'll just have to prove her wrong."

Ginny gave him a smile and then turned back to Molly who was asking her if there was anything she needed from the Burrow.

"I'm not coming home?"

"Well not right now dear," Molly said.

"Well I need my toothbrush, and a hairbrush, and a change of clothes, and..."

Ginny thought for a moment, "That's all."

"Alright, I'll just go grab those for you."

Arthur had recently departed for work.

"You know Mum thinks she is keeping me from flying but I've been steeling the brooms out of the shed and flying them at night since I was six." Ginny told one of her biggest secrets to Harry.

"Really? No one had to teach you how to fly?"

"Nope, I figured it out on my own." Ginny said proudly.

"I like to fly too."

"Really? Did you play at Hogwarts like my brothers? Well except Percy, he didn't play. But Percy is strange. He thinks his boss Mr. Couch is Merlin," Ginny nodded seriously.

"You mean Mr. Crouch?" Harry asked.

"Yeah him. So did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Play Quidditch at Hogwarts like Ron and Fred and George and Bill and—"

No I never went to Hogwarts." Harry said sadly cutting off her list.

"Why not?" Ginny asked, she had always thought everyone went to Hogwarts.

"It wasn't safe for me," He answered, still with the forlorn look on his face.

They went and sat on the small navy blue couch.

"Because you're Harry Potter?" Ginny asked, wisely catching on to exactly why he couldn't go to Hogwarts.

"Yeah, because I'm Harry Potter," Harry said somewhat bitterly.

"You don't like being Harry Potter?"

"It's not really all it's cracked up to be." He smiled at the kid, she was so innocently curious. It was nice, refreshing. He thought he could do this big brother thing.

"Really?" She had the habit of asking 'Really' a lot. A whole lot.

"Really." Harry replied.

Ginny arched one eyebrow at him, picking up one his gentle mocking of her.

"You say really a lot to you know."

"I do not."

"It's not _really _all it's cracked up to be." She imitated, in a very high pitched voice.

"Not as much as you—and my voice does _not_ sound like that!."

"Yeah, well. Don't worry, Mum says boy's talking gets low sounding when they get older and become grown ups— like men." Ginny said teasingly.

"I am a man." Harry said somewhat affronted.

"I don't know," Ginny said skeptically. "You seem more young to me."

Harry shot her another offended look and didn't say anything.

"So who taught you magic if you didn't go to Hogwarts."

"Well mostly my Godfather, and my Uncle Remus and Professor Dumbledore sometimes."

"Can I meet your Godfather and your Uncle?"

"Yeah, I'm sure they would really like to meet you."

"Why?"

"Why what?—Oh, never mind. They would like to meet you because..."

And Harry and young Ginny continued talking until Molly returned, Ginny learning to know her new big brother, and Harry being forced to speak more than he had since he was eleven by the nine year old girl. Sirius was going to have a field day with this.

**I didn't really want to overdramatize Ginny's reaction since she's only nine and doesn't understand what exactly is going on. Her big reaction will be when she's older and comes to terms with everything that their bond actually means. Also Ginny is only nine and therefor does not have a crush on the much older Harry like her cannon self did as an eleven year old, at nine she's too young to have that crush so that is why she is able to talk to Harry and not feel awkward...yet. **

**dezagonj—Glad you like it, thanks for reviewing.**

**natehc—thanks for reviewing**

**nightwing27—When I read your first review about Voldemort and his "death eater whores" I just started cracking up laughing and I was in a really quiet restaurant, (I was reading the review via email on my phone) and everyone gave me strange looks. And I totally agree with you, I hated Cho and thought it was stupid that it took them until book six to get together. thanks for reviewing. **

**benperez31—No, without Harry I just don't think that Ron and Hermione would have been great friends during school. I think he would have offended her when they were eleven and later on Ron would have noticed her and liked her but they would have just had different groups of friends and not really interacted very much but as adults met through work again and become romantically involved very quickly versus the long platonic relationship they would have had if Harry had gone to Hogwarts. Thanks for reviewing **

**moneystrine—yeah that's where it really get's interesting is when Gin is older because right now she is too young to understand what exactly is going on. **

**Lennon's Girl—Is your pen name in reference to John Lennon? If so I agree with you, the Beatle's were awesome. Anyway glad you like the story and thanks for reviewing. **

**mdauben—Thanks for reviewing and yes that's really where the story is interesting is when they get older and it gets a little awkward:)**

**ninaz08—I completely understand your concern, because where twenty five and thirty five are not a big deal at all, nine and nineteen is a huge deal. And that's kind of the point of the whole story is that right now Harry is like a big brother, because it would be sick and wrong if he was anything else, but when she's older they have to deal with that transition into husband and wife so it's very confusing for them. Hope you stick with it, and please update your story Fate's New Plan because it's very cool!**

**RedEYES-Fallen—Thanks so much!**

**arielgenevieve—Yeah I agree and that's why I decided to do it this way as I felt that nine was too young for that kind of information. As for the surname problem well we have two years until Hogwarts and I haven't decided what exactly I'm doing about that. I know that the information is going to leak, as you'll find out in the next few chapters and the press will make a huge deal about it so there's no way that she won't know something about it in the future. But I haven't decided how exactly I'm going to handle everything so you'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for reviewing. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer—Not even a little bit**

Molly returned and the three spent the day talking and getting to know one another, she eventually left around five to start dinner. Harry and Ginny only had another hour or so of physical contact.

He had been invited to have dinner with the Weasleys but declined as he was due for dinner with Sirius and Heather tonight anyhow.

Harry and Ginny sat on the couch for the remainder of the day talking mostly about their families.

Ginny went home with her mother afterwards to eat dinner with her family.

"So we'll bring Ginny tomorrow night?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Um—Yeah, sure I guess...that's what we have to do." Harry finished lamely.

"Alright, well get some rest dear." Molly said as she disappeared through the fireplace she had just sent her daughter through.

Harry grabbed his jacket by the door and has he ruffled it over his shoulder, he closed his eyes and disapparated away.

"There's the new Husband!"

_Dammit._

Sirius sat in the kitchen with his ridiculous chef's hat, as he called it, upon his head as he spun around the kitchen making spaghetti, the only thing he could really cook well.

Heather sat on a bar stool at the end of the table which sat in center of the kitchen where Sirius did all of the cooking on, and where they ate on afterwards.

"I can't believe you didn't invite me to your wedding!"

"I take it Albus told you then?" Harry said warily.

"Yup, he told us _everything." _Heather interjected with a grin.

She looked like the carbon copy of Lily, the only difference being a narrower face and longer and slightly thinner nose. However her personality could only be described as the reincarnation of James, something which Snape blamed Sirius for.

"I'm just so very hurt here Harry," Sirius put his hand over his heart in a dramatic gesture. "After I raised you from no more than a wee baby and here you—"

"Alright, stuff it you two. It's not funny. It's really not."

"Oh—but it really is!"

Harry glared at Heather, "Come on, you have to admit it is!"

Rolling his eyes Harry took the seat across from her as Sirius threw spaghetti in the air and accidently hit the ceiling with it.

Their house was in northern scotland, not far from Hogwarts actually and it was a charming old house. Warded to keep out Merlin himself, it was where they had lived for their entire lives prior to reaching seventeen.

The cool blue walls were soothing, and while his flat lacked the lived in and inviting style of his home, it was a large reason he had chosen his apartment was because of the resemblance.

"Is Moony coming tonight?" Harry asked Sirius.

"He said he would try to make it but would probably be late, personally I think he's going to cancel on us in favor of spending time with a certain young pink haired auror if you catch my drift." It was Heather who answered with a smile.

"Yeah," Harry nodded not knowing what else to say. The idea of Remus in a serious romantic relationship was a bit strange for him.

"I heard you and Snape got in an argument at the staff meeting?" Harry turned to ask her.

"Hey don't think we won't be discussing your marriage young man—" Sirius brandished his spaghetti spoon at Harry.

"Seriously Harry, trying to change the subject like that." Heather shook her head.

"Whatever—What did you and Snape argue about?"

Heather took a long sip of tea and proceeded with her tale, being helped by Sirius during parts.

"Well you see, last meeting—"

"One before that actually."

"—Thank You Padfoot, anyway _last meeting _we were discussing schedules again and I suggested that we move our fifth year transfiguration classes to three meetings a week as that is where we have been lacking in O.W.L's these past few years." Heather was an assistant at the school to Professor McGonagall.

"Then all hell broke loose." Sirius said, with a scary smile at the thought as though he liked nothing better than utter chaos during staff meetings. He was a rather irresponsible defense against the Dark Arts teacher really.

"Well Snape starting screaming about how I didn't know the 'burdens of his post' and some other nonsense. And how Potions was the most difficult art and needed more slots than transfiguration, so then Dumbledore, ever the pacifier, suggested we calm down and try to see each other's point of view. Snape started going on about how he 'could not possibly see the point of view of someone so ignorant.'"

"And then she said, 'Well professor as much as I would love to see Severus's point of view, I just can't seem to get my head that far up my ass." Sirius interjected for her.

"It was beautiful, I've never been so proud of my Goddaughter." Sirius nodded as he said this, his hand over his heart again as he mocked sobbed.

Heather rolled her eyes, "So then Snape went on about how Dad was the same as me, purely arrogance with no intelligence to back it up—"

"—And then, and I was so proud of you H, then she told him 'Shut up just because you're mad you'll never be the man your mother was.'" Sirius said.

"And that was that, he stormed out after that."

Heather finished, taking a long sip of her tea afterwards.

"Well glad to see you're being a role model for your students by working out your conflicts in a mature manner." Harry said sarcastically.

"Well you know me—ever the responsible one." Heather said loftily as Harry laughed at that. Truthfully Heather had wanted to go back packing for a few years after her education, see the world an all. But Sirius in a fit of paranoia had her begin working towards a mastery in Transfiguration under Mcgonagall at the safe and secure school. She was very gifted in the subject but her heart wasn't really in her work, which was why she had really supported Harry in his decision to become an Auror even though Sirius had worried about it. The death of Lily and James had made him so overprotective, but doing a job she didn't particularly want to do herself, she had understood and sided with Harry in that particular disagreement with their Godfather.

How'd you hear about it anyway?" Heather turned to him with an eyebrow raised.

"Are you kidding me? Tonks wouldn't shut up about it!" Harry told her, the pink haired auror had simply told him there had been a spat but hadn't filled him in on the details had she had been busy leaving for assignment at the time. But from her laughter at the memory of it Harry could tell that it was going to be good.

"Oh, I had forgotten she was there for recruitment that day for the Auror program," Heather laughed.

"So, back to your young, and I mean _young _bride."

Harry shook his head, "I—I don't even know what I'm going to do about that."

"Well from what Albus told us there's not really a whole lot you can do about it."

"That pretty much sums it up." Harry agreed, he really didn't have any choice in the matter.

"So, you broke things off with Cho now that you're married?" Sirius asked.

"Oh damn—I completely forgot about her!" Harry said throwing his hands in the air, just now remembering that little detail.

"Well honestly Harry if you really liked her, you would have not _just now _have remembered her so it's probably not that much of a loss to break things off with her anyhow." Sirius said displaying the rare show of wisdom.

"And she was a bitch anyway." Heather added.

"Heather!"

"Come on, I know it's true, you know it's true, hell even Padfoot here knows it's true." Heather justified her self.

"She really wasn't that bad. And just because the thought just now crossed my mind—"

"A though crossed your mind? That must have been one long and lonely journey."

Harry sent Heather a glare, "Sorry, couldn't resist." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Anyway, just because I just thought about her doesn't mean I didn't like her."

"Honestly Harry, what exactly was it you liked so much about her?"

"Well, she's very pretty, and—she likes quidditch, and..."

"Wow, very pretty and likes quidditch, there's the stuff love is made from."

"Oh, shut up Heather, just because she and you got off on the wrong foot—"

"Got off on the wrong foot—_Got off on the wrong foot! _She came in here and—"

"Calm down, Heather; Cho wasn't really..._that _bad. She was nice actually, you and just...didn't have much common ground." Heather arched an eyebrow which Sirius ignored.

"And Harry, Heather is right that after two months of dating 'pretty and likes Quidditch' isn't really enough to qualify for a great relationship."

"Yeah, well at least she wasn't nine!" Harry said, dropping his head on the table.

"Albus told me she's the youngest of the Weasleys?" Sirius asked, the conversation becoming a little more serious now.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"Well they're a great family," Sirius looked over at Harry.

"Cheer up you could have soul bonded with Draco Malfoy," Heather said.

Harry looked over at her, "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

"Harry you're starting to sound like Snivellus."

"Heather—Shut up!" Harry almost growled.

"Dinner's ready!" Sirius sang out.

The three of them sat eating spaghetti, "So, what's she like?" Heather asked.

"Nine," Harry answered.

"Aside from that." Sirius said impatiently waving his hand.

"Well, she has to have a reason for everything. And I mean everything, even something like what is your favorite color. She made me justify what my favorite color is!"

"What is your favorite color?" Heather asked.

"Red," Harry said.

"Really? Why?" Sirius asked.

Harry just gave him a withering look. "Harry, when you were nine you tried to dye your sister's hair green so it would match her eyes and you loved to pour a glass of water on me to wake me up after you saw Remus do it that one time I got wast—Anyway, the point is that no one doesn't do some annoying things when they're nine. That's just the way kids are."

"You still do annoying things." Heather said.

"I've change my mind—" Harry started.

"Does the new one work better?" Heather interrupted.

Harry ignored this, "Why should I break up with Cho? I mean it's not like I can date Ginny anyway, seeing as she's nine!"

"You keep saying she's nine, she's nine, we've got it—she's nine!" Heather said.

"Harry don't you think Cho will be a little upset that you're married?" Sirius asked, giving Harry a look that clearly said, 'this is a stupid idea.'

"Plus Harry Ginny won't always be nine, and don't you think she'll be a tad upset when the day comes that she looks back and remembers your girl friends from her childhood? I mean you do realize that while right now it's not a big deal, what about when she's a teenager? Are you just going to be fine with her going off with some boy?" Sirius asked.

"I don't care!" Harry said vehemently.

Sirius put down his fork, "Look Harry don't be an idiot just because you're mad. I know this is hard but—"

Harry interrupted standing up from his chair.

"This is hard? THIS IS HARD? NO YOU DON'T KNOW, ARE YOU EXPECTED TO SPEND THE NEXT TEN YEARS OF YOUR LIFE ALONE, BABYSITTING SOME GIRL WHO YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW? I DIDN'T THINK SO!"

Heather shrunk back in her chair a bit, alarmed by the vehemence of his response and deciding to let up on her teasing of the matter for the rest of the night. She felt bad for her brother to be tied down so young and in such an awkward situation.

Harry breathing hard rolled his eyes and sat back down slouching in the chair like he was a pouting child.

"Anyways as I was saying—" Sirius continued completely unfazed by the vehement interruption.

"—I know this is hard, and no Harry while I know it's hard I also know it's easy for me to say that when you have to bear the burden, but—that doesn't mean you get to act like a four year old about it. I know it's hard but Dumbledore told us this happened because you are soul mates. Soul mates pup, that doesn't exactly happen very often! Don't screw this up just because it's going to be a little difficult and—unconventional."

"Wow, unconventional—I didn't know you had that kind of vocabulary Pads." Heather said.

Sirius rolled his eyes at his goddaughter and continued on his spiel to his godson.

"And besides, I think magic realized how awkward you are in the relationship department and decided it would be best just to hitch you off." Sirius nodded.

Heather laughed at that and even Harry cracked an indignant grin.

"Whatever old dog, who was the last girlfriend you had?"

"Hey, I resent that pup. I'll have you know that I was and still am considered the best looking graduate of my year."

"Well that's not saying much, I mean who was your competition; Snape?" Harry asked.

"Your father!" Sirius said, that shut Harry up.

"And besides, I'm not going to loose my looks as I get older."

"Oh, don't say that Pads, I mean with some luck you might." Heather said in a mock concerned tone.

Sirius took a second to catch on to what she was implying before glaring at her.

Harry laughed, his temper tantrum seemed to have passed for the moment. And he took Sirius's words to heart, yeah it was going to be a long next few years but at the end of which he would find a woman who would be perfect for him. How many people could say that?

As he was leaving that night Heather grabbed him into a hug, "Hey, cheer up, like I said it could have been Malfoy!"

Harry just rolled his eyes for what seemed like the thousandth time that night.

**Please Review**

**not not a pedobear—yeah Harry does tend to loose his temper, and as you see in this chapter not all of his anger was abated talking to Dumbledore, but when he's an idiot he'll have Sirius to guide him back on track. Old dogs gotten wise!**

**tomekk—Thanks for reviewing please keep it up!**

**Lennon's Girl—Glad you like it so far and very happy that it's not coming off as creepy which is the last thing I want. Thanks for reviewing. **

**tlf—Thanks for reviewing please keep it up!**

**Strip—Thanks for reviewing, but what does kugw mean?**

**nightwing27—Thanks for reviewing, hope you get your lap top soon!**

**Cartman1701—Thanks it's nice to know that I was doing a good job because I always feel like I have the hardest time writing young children. So thank you for reassuring me! **

**moneystrine—Thanks!**

**Aaron Leach—Thanks!**

**mdauben—they'll have some storms to weather but in the end it will be very good for both of them. Thanks for reviewing. **

**MissWes—There will be quite a bit of time skipped in this story, but there will be at least one chapter that goes over a scene every year, and the beginning there will be quite a lot of time spent developing this and then there will be quite a few chapter when Ginny is about fourteen and then it will skip only checking in a bit until she is seventeen where the story will really take place. Thanks for reviewing!**

**blueisasome—Thank you!**

**benperez31—hoped Heather didn't disappoint! Thanks for reviewing. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer—No ownership**

**I'm back and will be regularly updating. However; I did go back and replace the other chapters with slight changes, the main change is that Voldemort is not back yet. Before I had it written that they were in active war time, but when I went to start working on my story line now I realized that for the beginning I really want to focus on the more home front aspects and that the war would just be a distraction, so Voldemort is now not back in this story which changes what Heather and Sirius have been up to and the situation for everyone a bit. **

Harry sat nervously tapping his fingers on the desk in front of him. He was going to the Weasleys tonight, to meet all of them, all five older brothers plus Ron. But Ron he wasn't quite as worried about since they already knew each other.

Heather and Sirius were also coming.

He expected a disaster.

Harry and Ginny had managed to work out a reasonable routine and he had now returned to work. Molly and Arthur were beginning to be slightly less wary of him.

It was alright he supposed.

But he was still very lonely, Ginny was only nine and he felt as though he couldn't really talk to her about adult problems. He had been working up the courage to break things off with Cho when she had beaten him to it and told him she would like to start seeing other people. That had not helped his self esteem very much.

She had been very kind though and explained that while she liked him she just felt that they simply 'lacked that spark,' as she said, even though he had been about to break up with her anyway Harry still felt rejected. Especially since he had now heard she had starting seeing Cedric Diggory, an intern at the law enforcement department and the boy who all the office girls Harry could overhear discussing their fantasies about.

It had not been the best week.

While life was manageable, he was not really happy. Lately he had felt stressed, tired, and alone while being more pestered than ever. And he really, really did not want to go to this dinner tonight. He really, being a very private person who lately had had no privacy, just wanted to go home, by himself, _alone, _and rest. But that of course would not be happening.

He stood up tiredly from his desk and gathering his robe began to leave his office. Ron opened his mouth to speak but then as if loosing what he was going to say, fell silent without a word. That had been happening a lot lately. Although Ron was trying to be understanding it was strange now, the soul bond making their relationship seem forced, and the easy colleague and friendship they had been developing seemed to have disappeared.

Harry rushed quickly out of the office.

Colleen, was a sweet but somewhat overly talkative girl that worked in records. She was not strikingly beautiful by any means, but pretty enough with her short ash blonde hair and pale blue eyes. She had taken a liking to Harry, something Ron had actually pointed out a couple of months ago. He might have even asked her out for a date if circumstances had been different, but now he was unavailable...forever. Which depressed him when he thought about it. He had tried not to lead her on, especially lately, but he did generally talk to her when he saw her. She really was such a sweet kind hearted person, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her feelings.

However today Harry was tired and frustrated, and has Harry walked out of the office hearing the clacking of Colleen's heels and her calling his name as she attempted to catch up to him was the last thing he wanted.

"Harry!" She said breathlessly after jogging through the crowd to catch him.

"Colleen." She didn't seem to notice the flat tone in which he said her name, or chose to ignore it.

"What are you doing tonight?" She asked in what Harry considered an overly happy tone, it was just too...chipper.

"Dinner with Ron's family." He replied gruffly.

"Oh, well I was wondering if we could go get some dinner actually tonight. My friends cancelled on me and I don't have anything at home and I just thought...maybe if Ron didn't mind. But I understand that you have commitments and all—I—I was just wondering."

"Well I'm sorry but I really do have to go to Ron's." Harry tried to say kindly, he respected her courage but wished she wasn't so forward at such a terrible time, why couldn't she have asked him a couple months ago? Why pick now when he couldn't say yes anyways? He had to remind himself she didn't know about his situation and to be patient, something he was severely limited on today.

"Okay, I understand. What about tomorrow night?"

"What?" Harry said sharply, taken by surprise having expected her to give up after the initial refusal.

"Tomorrow night? Do you think we could have dinner somewhere?" She continued.

Turning towards her Harry felt exceptionally bad for what he was about to do but knew it was necessary, "I have...plans actually for tomorrow, sorry."

She visibly recoiled, clearly taken by surprise but understanding what his answer really meant. He saw tears well up in her eyes and felt even worse. She took a deep breath and with some control prevented them from falling.

"Well, I'm sorry for bothering you then—I'll just leave." She said in a rough voice.

Harry opened his mouth to say something but before he could think of anything to try to make the situation better her hasty retreat had her far away from him.

"Asshole Potter." He mumbled under his breath, he wondered if maybe her could get her some flowers or something? But no that would only make it worse, he didn't want to lead her on in any way. It was probably just best left alone, besides she was pretty and sweet, some other bloke would go out with her and she would forget all about him.

That thought also left him a little depressed, not because he really liked Colleen that much, but because he felt...replaced lately.

He hadn't gotten the promotion at work, hardly surprising since he had recently missed an entire week, something Smith, his boss, didn't take kindly too.

Cho had clearly moved on rather quickly, and now someone else would be replacing him in their life too.

He never saw Sirius or Heather, and had no friends really except a tenuous friendship with Ron which was under a lot of unintentional strain from everything going on.

He felt alone and replaced yet at the same time constantly bothered with no privacy.

And he didn't like it.

Sighing he continued to exit the ministry before apparating to his apartment, an apartment that was blessedly empty.

Enjoying the silence he sat down on his couch rubbing his face with his hands as if trying to rub away the stress.

He lay back down on his couch, he hadn't been getting very much sleep at night lately has he had been feeling uncomfortable with having a nine year old girl in his bed. This caused him to spend most of the night lying awake, pretending to be asleep so Ginny wouldn't try to keep talking or more accurately rambling about entirely random subjects and asking him if he was asleep yet. When she finally did fall asleep, which was usually fairly early as she was so young and tired rather quickly after a long day, he would open his eyes and just stare at the ceiling in a depressed manner.

He acknowledged somewhere inside that this was probably being rather immature and making the worst of an already difficult situation but he did not care. If he wanted to feel sorry for himself than by merlin he was going to and no one was going to interrupt his moping.

And so with all of his depressed vacant eyed ceiling staring at night, Harry had found himself very exhausted making him even more irritable. So when he closed his eyes on the small, not even very comfortable couch, he found himself drifting off to sleep in a second although his intention had only been to lay his head down for a moment.

Three hours later he woke up to a loud banging on his door.

Sitting upright abruptly Harry awoke rather alarmed and breathing hard as he fell off of his small couch and had his glasses poke him in the eye.

"Ouch! Hold—HOLD ON A MOMENT." He shouted towards the door way. Gathering himself off the floor and straightening his wrinkled clothing he walked towards the doorway.

"Harry!" Sirius about shouted.

"Sirius—" Before Harry could finish his question Sirius continued.

"Where have you been! You were due at the Weasley's two hours ago. We've been checking everywhere, none of us actually thought about you apartment until now, which in hindsight was really stupid—but that is besides the point! Come on we need to get to the burrow!"

Before Harry could say anything Sirius yanked him outside of the door and they apparated.

Landing in a disoriented state in the back lawn of the Burrow Harry staggered somewhat giving him a drunk appearance although he was not.

"Oh...Harry, there you are." Mrs. Weasley said praying she was wrong on what she suspected his intoxication level was.

Straightening up and looking around wildly trying to figure out his surroundings, still foggy form having just woke up, Harry whirled around so fast that he fell straight on his ass; furthering Mrs. Weasley's suspicions.

"Harry..." Mrs. Weasley started off not really knowing what to say.

Hopping up quickly and blinking, Harry took a deep breath before jumping into a very rushed explanation.

"I'm so sorry Mrs. Weasley, I went back to my flat after work and I just sat down for a moment and then I fell asleep. I didn't mean to, I just woke up when Sirius came. I'm really sorry." Harry tried to impart a sense of sincerity into his words since it was the truth.

"It's alright dear, just—well why don't we get you inside so we can start dinner. Everyone's certainly hungry by now."

Harry nodded but flinched at the last part, this definitely wasn't the first impression he had been hoping for with the rest of the Weasley family.

Walking behind her with Sirius trailing behind him he entered the burrow, as he did so looking back at Sirius for some kind of indication of what to expect, or advice or reassurance or something.

He was not looking for a shrug which was what he got.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at his godfather he continued into the burrow where he met five unfriendly stares and one questioning one from Ron.

The twins, Percy, Charlie and Bill on the other hand did not seem to be so charitable as to be waiting for an explanation on his late arrival.

They were looking at him with suspicious expressions, and in the cases of Charlie and Bill downright distrustful.

Mrs. Weasley rushed off into the kitchen to bring out dinner, Harry offered to help her but she ushered him to back to the table saying that Hermione was already taking care of that.

Heather was sitting down at the end next to Sirius and Ginny who was telling them about her room.

Harry sat down awkwardly very aware of five intense stares directed at him.

Ginny smiled at Harry before ushering Heather and Sirius and to come see her room. The latter who immediately and happily obliged and the former who Harry thought looked like she wanted nothing more than to stay and watch him be eaten alive, the_ loving_ sister that she was.

"We'll be just a moment Molly." Sirius called into the kitchen as they passed it.

He gave Harry a look which his godson took to mean that he needed to have this conversation just him and the brothers and get it out of the way. Harry gave him what he hoped to be a good glare, of all the times for Sirius's ridiculous overprotectiveness to leave him it had to be now Harry thought to himself. For Harry was sure that at that moment he felt much more intimidated by the five red headed wizards then the shadow of Voldemort that Sirius jumped out of bed at night believing he was hexing.

"So..." Fred stated, or who Harry thought was Fred, but really Harry had no idea. He didn't even know what made him think that was Fred.

"So..." Charlie repeated.

"So..." Bill then said. Honestly it was getting ridiculous, deciding to channel his inner Heather, Harry replied with the smart ass answer, probably not the best decision but he was tired and irritable and his decision making was never good during those moments.

"So..." Harry said dramatically. He was glad when he saw Fred, George and Ron all crack a bit of a grin at that, he was less encouraged when he saw the unwavering blank faces of Charlie, Bill and Percy.

"So..." Harry heard Heather call from upstairs, and the immediate chastisement from Sirius. He couldn't help it then he full out laughed but it was short lived as the three 'enforcers' as he was already starting to label them, still sat giving him the eldest Weasley brothers' trademark glare.

"Didn't bother coming on time today uh? Figure the Weasley family can wait for the great Harry Potter." Bill said coldly.

"No! Nothing like—I'm really sorry about that I just haven't been getting any sleep lately—"

"Why haven't you been getting any sleep lately?" Charlie interjected sharply.

"Well I've been a bit stressed recently." Harry snapped back not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.

"Yeah I imagine running some sort of perverted scam on a nine year old and her—"

"Now wait a moment, I'm not running any kind of—"

Harry was so angry at the injustice of it, they weren't even going to hear him out.

"Well _Harry_—" Charlie put an unpleasant ring to his name. "—It's just a little hard to believe that our _baby _sister, who is only nine by the way, just happens to get a soul bond, something which hasn't happened in _centuries_ and is believed to be a myth often at that? It's all just a little far fetched." 

Bill and Percy nodded in agreement with this and even the twins raised eyebrows as if to say, 'he has a point.'

Harry looked at Ron hoping he would throw me a rope, or something as he certainly felt like he was drowning.

"Ron was there!" He shouted almost.

"Well all Ron said was something about Dumbledore and a whole bunch of other unspecific nonsense that didn't prove anything."

"I for one find you strange, too strange, for one why exactly didn't you attend Hogwarts? I've always respected the headmaster but no one can deny he's a little weird about you, and you, your whole story reeks of weird." Bill went on.

At this point a young brown haired girl stepped into the room, but not Mrs. Weasley who at this time Harry had no idea where she was and had been fervently hoping for some intervention on her part.

Ignoring hostile glances from the older three the girl, who was beautiful with her wavy brown hair pulled back into a messy bun, walked over to Harry and offered her hand to shake while introducing herself.

"Hello, I'm Hermione, it's nice to meet you. Ron has told me so much about you." She said sincerely.

"I'm Harry, it's good to meet you too. Mrs. Weasley and Ron talk about you all the time."

Hermione smiled and sat down next to Ron who gave her a strange look that Harry didn't know what to make of, before he could concentrate much on either of them the interrogation had started again.

"Well, I for one would like to speak with the headmaster," Percy finally spoke.

"I agree, I want to hear what he has to say for himself." Charlie nodded.

Hermione gave them questioning glances before speaking up, "I understand that this is difficult but I don't see what you're hoping to gain by talking to Headmaster Dumbledore!" She said surprising Harry with the vehemence she said it.

"What'd you mean what are we hoping to gain! A bit of clarity obviously on this—this _joke_!" Bill blurt out clearly angry.

"Isn't the word of your mother, father and brother good enough for you to already know what Dumbledore is going to say?" Hermione asked exasperatedly. Harry nodded, glad someone appeared to be finally on his side.

"They have obviously been hoodwinked!" Bill kept going.

"By what! And what would be the purpose! Do you think I like this situation! Do you think I asked for—"

At that point Mrs. Weasley came into the room, "Please don't shout Harry dear. Why don't we finish discussing this...matter later, _privately_. And when your father is here boys. Now we have dinner and I believe Ginny is almost done with the tour of her room she is showing Heather and Sirius." Mrs. Weasley said, a little too late with her intervention for Harry's liking.

She left calling Ginny down to dinner and she and Hermione, who drug Ron in tow, went to help her as they brought into the dining table the steaming plates of food.

Ginny came practically skipping into the room rushing over to Hermione and talking to her excitedly about something, Harry couldn't hear her over the noise of the room.

Heather was muttering something to Sirius with a sour expression on her face. She had been in a foul mood since term started, resentful of staying to get her mastery when she really simply wanted to just leave. Personally Harry thought she was being rather immature and indecisive since she had agreed to it after all. But Heather had never been the on to make lemonade when life gave her lemons she was more the person flip off the lemon giver.

Sirius looked tired, being the lemon giver lately he had probably been on the receiving end of many tantrums. But a deal was a deal, they had agreed that she would finish her Transfiguration mastery and then she could go traveling all she wished. Only her mastery would take years, the reason for Heather's sourness.

Taking his mind of his own family drama Harry kept looking around the room, Hermione and Ron were locked into a kind of dreamy trance of looking into each other's eyes. This honestly made him feel...jealous. Why was it Ron got a beautiful and what he had heard intelligent girl when he on the other hand ended up trapped in some kind of ancient binding magic to a little child? It was unfair.

Bill was still glaring at him, but Charlie for the time being was too engrossed in food to care it seemed. Percy was chatting to Arthur who had just come in cleaning up, he had been stuck at work late and had some kind of fiasco which resulted in him being covered in...well Harry wasn't exactly sure what it had been that he was covered in.

The twins were now talking to Ginny who sitting over by them, and Molly was staring at...directly at Harry.

Harry looked down at his plate and begin to eat quickly.

Dinner was delicious, and everyone being starving after waiting due to Harry's absence, ate quickly without a lot of talk. It was over much to soon for Harry's liking.

"Ginny dear why don't you go upstairs," Molly asked after everyone had cleared their plates.

"Why? I want to be down—" Ginny started vehemently upset with her mother's instruction.

"Ginny go upstairs." Molly said more firmly.

"NO! I don't see why I can't stay. I'm so sick of everyone sending me—"

"Ginny upstairs. Now." Arthur finally cut in.

Sending her father a deeply betrayed look, Ginny crossed her arms over her chest and stomped upstairs. As she left Mrs. Weasley placed some quick charms to prevent her from eavesdropping and then returned to the table.

"Now boys, I know you have some questions you would like ans—"

Bill interrupted his father, "Of course! For one why do you even believe this...shit!" Bill finished.

"William!" Molly shouted, reprimanding his language.

"He's right Mum, I mean really a soul bond! Those are fairy tales. You're willing to let them...do whatever the bloody hell it is they want to Ginny! She's just a little girl!" Charlie jumped in.

"Now listen here, do you think your mother and I are idiots? That we would just let anyone, anyone even get near Ginny who wanted to hurt her. Dumbledore is one of the most powerful wizards in the world, and he has always had the best interest at heart when it comes to children. He said this was a soul bond, and more than that we saw it, we _saw_ the effects." Arthur said.

"How do you really know what you saw?" Bill jumped in with an eyebrow raised.

The twins and Ron seemed content just to let their parents and the eldest battle this out. Percy kept attempting to speak and being completely blocked out and talked over. And Harry wasn't sure what to say and so just kept silent.

Sirius likewise decided that it was a family matter that should be worked out between them. Heather had deemed Bill an idiot beyond reason and was still angrily thinking back to her argument with Sirius. And Hermione had a lot to say but worried it would be out of place for her to interfere.

"Honestly Bill you weren't even there, so why do you have to question all of our judgement so much? Being eldest does not make you god of this family." Ron said tiredly finally speaking up.

"What! I've never—"

"You always." Ron interrupted.

Smiling at Ron for standing up to his eldest brother, Hermione turned towards Bill, Charlie and Percy also, "I don't understand why this is so hard for you to believe, I know it's far fetched but what possible motive would anyone have for making this up? I mean, why are you so set against it being a sham?"

"Because! She's nine—"

"And I see how that makes the situation difficult but it's difficult for _everyone. _Think about how Harry must feel instead of accusing him of some kind of crime." Hermione went on.

"Harry could be a sick twisted pervert, there's a motive!" Charlie spoke up.

"Oh for the love of—" Harry started throwing his hands in the air.

"What is it going to take for you to believe that I am not some kind monster!" He finished.

"Veritaserum." Bill piped up pulling out a vile from his jacket.

Harry looked at him alarmed. Molly and Arthur both starting objecting, and Sirius too at this point. Heather rolled her eyes at him, and Hermione gave him a disapproving look.

"No!"

"See this proves—"

"THIS PROVES NOTHING! Nothing other than I don't want you people fishing around in my mind while I can't have any privacy—"

"Oh so we're 'you people,' now uh, oh great chosen one." Charlie mocked him.

"Oh just shut up!" Harry finally yelled at Bill and Charlie and then he stormed out of the room having had enough for one day and with a terrible headache.

Strolling outside around the house Harry walked until he saw a little red haired girl trying to stealthily leave the shed with a broomstick in hand.

She stopped when she saw Harry, her eyes going wide in alarm looking very much like a deer in headlights as she realized she had been caught. Then brushing it off she straightened and smiled, hoping he would not go tell her mother.

"Want to fly?" She asked hopefully.

No was about to automatically roll of his tongue, but then he hesitated. How long had it been since he had last flown? He couldn't even remember.

"Yeah...sure." Harry said finally.

Rushing back into the shed she grabbed another broom and quickly handed it to Harry. He had to smile a little at her eagerness, it was nice to see someone so excited about something so simple.

It was a cloudy night, the stars weren't really all that visible, but as they lifted of into the air Harry felt so relieved. He really couldn't care less about the stars as he glided around. Ginny he noticed, was a fair flier, especially considering her age.

They flew around the country side, occasionally racing, but mostly just flying.

When they returned to the shed. Ginny put the brooms back up and re-emerged talking for the first time since they left.

"Did they send you out of the room too?" She asked.

"No I left." Harry said as they walked around to the porch and sat on the steps there. Ginny bringing her knees up to her chest and propping her elbows on them where she rested her head after rolling up the sleeves of the overly large red jumper she wore.

"Well you're lucky." Ginny said sourly.

Lucky, how was he lucky he wondered? He considered himself many things but lucky was not one of them.

"How?" He asked her, more sharply than he intended but she didn't seem to be that offended.

"Well at least people talk to you. Don't just send you off somewhere all the time, and pat you on the head. I hate it when people pat me on the head. It's—It makes me so mad!" Ginny went on angrily.

"Lots of people talk to you," Harry waived his hand in the air as if to demonstrate the lack of substance to her problem.

"No they don't! I never even see anyone besides Mum and Dad."

"You see me every night." Harry scoffed. Clearly she had become delusional.

"You never really say much to me." Ginny said quietly.

Harry was about to dismiss that as ridiculous, but when he tried to think of what they had talked about to disprove her words he realized that she was right. He never really did talk to her since the first couple days, lately the odd gruff answer when she asked a question. He mostly tried to ignore her.

Feeling a little guilty Harry took a deep breath before going on, "Yeah I guess I'm not the best company."

"Company?" Ginny asked quizzically.

"It's...when you are friends. I don't know—when you spend time with someone I guess."

"Oh." Ginny said although she still really didn't quite get the word.

They sat there for a while in silence, Ginny fidgeting uncomfortable with the silence.

"Well do you think you could maybe talk some more?" She finally asked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I've just been really tired lately." Harry said.

"Why?"

"You wouldn't understand." Harry said.

"Well I really can't understand if you don't tell me." She said.

Surprised by the adult like answer Harry turned to look at her.

"Well...I don't know really." The truth was he did know but he couldn't exactly explain to her that it was how uncomfortable the situation with her that she didn't even know about was making him.

"You don't know?" Ginny asked raising an eyebrow.

"I guess...every one seems to be...moving on lately? They all have girlfriends or something, some one, and I—I'm still by myself."

"So you want a girl friend?" Ginny asked excitedly, "You have to meet Luna! She lives over the hill and she's old like you and—"

Harry cut her off, "Hey—I'm not _old. _Sirius is old." He said pointing a finger at her.

She giggled at that. He went on, "And no it's not even really a girl friend I just...want someone to really talk to."

"You're talking to me." She pointed out confusedly.

Harry thought about that for a moment, "Yeah you're right." He finally said with a small smile.

Mrs. Weasley came then and ushered them back into the house where Bill had calmed down, largely thanks to Hermione, or the 'voice of reason,' as they were no calling her.

Harry slowly found himself sleeping better and talking more in the following months.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer—at this point I have come to accept it, but the grief is still there.**

**Two Years Later**

Diagon Alley was always a place that had a lot of commotion. It was the prime shopping place of all Wizarding Britain after all.

However, early one summer morning the alley sat strangely quiet. There were people, but the summer shopping rush had yet to start as it was only late July, and the morning shoppers tended to be quiet and reserved people which gave the cobblestone alley a great sense of peace.

The summer air moist from the humidity and already warm although it was only eight a.m. sharp, was pleasant and unlike the oppressing hot stifling atmosphere it would grow to be in the afternoon. The early morning shoppers smiled at this as they quietly went on about their business with the often times yawning employees and owners in the alley.

"Wand first!"

"Wand last."

"Come on, wand first!"

"Last."

"First!"

"Last."

"Please, _please, _Harry. Have a heart, come _on_, wand first!"

Harry simply shook his head at that, "Everyone always gets their wand last of their school shopping, it's tradition Gin, sorry—wand _last_."

Ginny gave him a withering look at that and then turned away with her arms crossed walking across the street with her nose high in the air in her show of disapproval.

She was yanked out of her preoccupation with her demonstration of her 'unhappiness' over the wand situation as her the collar of her shirt was abruptly pulled back and she found her feet flying out from under her as she was wrenched backwards from the street.

Before she could turn to give Harry a sharp retort however she saw a red automobile come flying rapidly down the road right where she had been about to step.

Giving him a sheepish look she just stood up straight and smoothed the wrinkles in her shirt.

Shaking his head again but deciding to not to reprimand, Harry put his hand on her shoulder and guided her as they walked across the street looking very much like an older brother and younger sister.

As they came to the entrance of the leaky cauldron however, all of Ginny's embarrassment about her childish act of stepping so quickly into the street was forgotten.

"I can't believe it!" She said a little breathlessly.

Harry looked around to figure out what she was talking about before he finally realized her eyes were fixed straight on the simple, somewhat shabby really, door into the pub.

"Ginny—you do realize we came here to eat with Hermione and Ron like what...just last week for lunch?"

"I know, I know, but it's _different_ now!"

"How so?" Harry asked skeptically raising an eyebrow.

"_Harry_." Ginny said exasperatedly sounding like a mother does when she is tired of telling her son to pick up his coat again and leave it on the rack and not the floor.

Harry rolled his eyes and parroted her with the same tone, "_Ginny._"

Shooting him an annoyed glare she finally decided to explain, "Last week we were just coming here for some lunch..." she began.

"Yes..." Harry said still not seeing where she was going with this.

"But now, _now—_We are coming here for my first school shopping trip! This is like a mile marker—"

"Stone," Harry interrupted correcting her.

"—whatever," she hardly paused before continuing, "—in my life. This is the only time I will come here to shop for my first year of school." She finished dramatically.

"You do realize we'll probably forget something and have to come back and it will still be shopping for your first year?" Harry asked dryly.

Ginny huffed, he was just not seeing the monumental nature of this shopping trip.

"Well, it still symbolics—"

"Symbolizes," Harry interrupted correcting.

She didn't even bother to pause at all, "—a new era for me."

"Okay Gin." Harry said deciding it was easier just to go along. Lately she had been in a rather..._epic_...no that wasn't it..._dramatic_...ah yes, mood.

Smiling brightly she rushed towards the door and eagerly ripped it open, almost taking it off the hinges, before scurrying inside looking rather more eight then the eleven years that she was.

Harry followed albeit at a much more subdued pace, but never the less a small smile on his face as he watched amused at her over the top excitement.

"Mr. Potter! Why good morning!" The old barman said cheerfully as he slew his dirty rag across his shoulder as he had just finished wiping down the bar countertop which acquired some very _interesting_ grime on Friday nights especially.

"Hello Tom." Harry said greeting the barman.

"And hello Ginny." Tom smiled, to his understanding Harry had just become a good family friend and in his good heartedness had also volunteered to take the young girl shopping. Then again Tom also believed that Ginny had come and left with Ron at their late lunch the other week.

No one knew but Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry's family the truth about the matter.

Ginny as sheltered as she was, had no friends her own age and rarely really ever talked to people outside of the aforementioned, so she had no one to tell how strange her situation really was and in her naivety she thought nothing of it.

"Good morning Tom!" Ginny said excitedly, as the barman smiled at her. While she was a very happy and energetic person, she was also painfully shy and quiet around strangers after having such a secluded life. Tom was one of the few outside the family she had become familiar enough with to be comfortable around.

Ginny told Tom quickly about her shopping trip, which Tom wisely feigned to completely understand the severity and importance of the occasion leading Ginny to send Harry a triumphant look that he quietly chuckled at when she turned back to Tom.

They made it out of the pub after about ten minutes and to the brick wall behind where Harry and Ginny stepped into the peaceful alley with the nice moist morning air.

Taking in a deep breath Ginny smiled, and looked around with big eyes as if this was her first trip to the alley instead of one of many.

"What first?" Harry asked, having gotten the gold from his vault last night in anticipation for this trip.

"Wands?" Ginny said hopefully with a mischievous smile.

Harry just gave her an amused expression.

Taking a deep sigh of feigned annoyance Ginny corrected herself, "Fine then, what about...potions supplies."

"Alright let's go." And so they did down the alley towards the apothecary.

Ginny took a ridiculously long time choosing potion ingredients, as she was determined to account for the 'quality' of them herself, despite as Harry pointed out that her potions knowledge was negligible and she had no way of really knowing whether they were quality or not.

Ginny had grown into a very curious girl, partly her nature, and she did have quite a thirst for knowledge that most blamed Hermione's influence on. She had already read several basic defense, charms and transfiguration texts and every now and then Harry had indulgently allowed her to learn a few basic spells using his wand, which worked surprisingly well for her (a result of the soul bond he suspected), when Mrs. Weasley wasn't looking as she was a huge proponent of absolutely no underage magic.

It was expected for Ginny to do very well in school, she loved to learn and was a bright student, the fear was more on her social skills.

Her brothers, all much older than her were already mostly grown when she was only a child, she had had no playmates. And especially after the situation developed with Harry she was kept if possible even more isolated amongst a small circle of family and friends. She had never had friend her own age, and only interacting with adults had made her a bit of a strange child. Molly worried she would have problems at school, being away from the people she had been with her entire life and being thrown into a social circle that she had absolutely no prerequisite for dealing with.

While Ginny slowly circled around the potion ingredients, examining each one like a hawk despite the fact she really didn't know much about them, Harry leaned back against the black counter at the front of the store watching her. Laughing at her serious expression as she went about determining her ingredients based off her school shopping list.

He was so busy with his own thoughts that it highly scared him when he heard a voice behind him, _right _behind him, ask, "Little sister?"

Turning around quickly he saw it was the cashier at the shop, offering her a small smile he replied with a simple, "Good as."

"Ah," the woman said not really understanding but deciding she didn't particularly care.

She was dressed crisply in nice well fitting robes, clearly well tailored, and was very, very pretty with long black hair and large grey eyes. She looked to be around Harry's own age.

"Amanda Worthwright," she held out her hand to Harry to shake.

"Harry," He said choosing to leave of the infamous last name, she gave him a quizzical look at that but said nothing.

She smiled a bright smile at him, "So Harry, you're not a Hogwarts student are you?"

"No," he said simply but not unkindly, just not feeling the need to elaborate further.

"Oh, how old are you then?" She asked twirling a strand of her shiny hair.

"Twenty one." He answered still watching Ginny who was now grimacing at the dead beetles and deciding to forgo her usual inspection routine.

"Oh, you don't say—why I'm twenty one too!" the girl said excitedly. Personally Harry thought that was a ridiculous thing, so were a million other people, it wasn't an uncommon age. And was she going to begin every single sentence with 'Oh,'?

Ginny now had ventured further back into the store where he could no longer see her so he finally turned around to look at the girl he was speaking to.

A detached part of his mind noted that she was very pretty, but the thought almost sounded...clinical, like a scientist making an observation on an experiment.

He had found himself that way these past couple of years, he would look at girl and know that she was pretty, know that his self before the bond would have been blushing, and find himself completely unaffected.

It wasn't that he found Ginny that way, he didn't, not at all. He really had come to love her like a younger sister, and while he was very comforted by that because frankly he would have been highly disturbed had he seen her any other way, he also worried that he would never be able to see her any other way.

Sometimes when by himself alone with his thoughts he would try to envision a future where he felt romantically for her; he could never picture it.

So no it wasn't that he felt _that _for Ginny either, he didn't feel that way ever anymore. He sometimes thought that this was what eunuchs must have felt like after their castrations, that thought was always accompanied with a grimace.

But he supposed he was finding out what Dumbledore had said that night about 'No interest in any other,' but he also had no interest in her. Which once again he was thankful for, but at the same time he was scared of the future, a future he always envisioned himself as spending alone in the way of relationships between a man and a woman as he could just never see feeling that way for his little sister, because that was what she was.

Perhaps closer than the average younger sister and older brother because of all the time they spent together, but a younger sister all the same.

When Ginny literally skipped back into the room he smiled, an indulgent smile a parent might send a child, yes the very thought of Ginny in_ that_ way he was convinced would always seem perverted to him no matter how old she was. He just couldn't see a world where he wouldn't feel like a mix of brother and sometimes even father to her.

Apparently Amanda had been talking to him this entire time he had lapsed into his monologue of thoughts and was now sending him an annoyed looked as he had repeatedly failed to answer some question she had asked.

"I'm sorry what?" he said turning back to her as Ginny was almost to the counter to check out.

"_Nothing_." She said icily turning away.

Before he could reply Ginny was there, "Okay, I got everything...all very quality." Ginny nodded seriously.

"Yeah I saw your inspection of the beetles...a little _hurried_ there Gin?" Harry teased.

"Their legs are all twitchy even though they're dead," Ginny said with a shiver.

"Don't tell me you're also due to develop an insect phobia like Ron?" Harry asked with his trademark raised eyebrow.

"Spiders aren't insects, they're part of the class Arach—"

"You and Hermione have been spending too much time together..." Harry said smiling.

"Well her wedding is soon," Ginny waved her hands funnily, Harry wasn't sure by what she meant with the gesture.

"You do realize Heather is her maid of honor right, I think weddingly tasks fall to her?" Harry asked.

"Heather is always wearing those giant sunglasses acting all tired," Ginny waived her hand dismissively.

Harry gave a tired sigh at that, Ginny was too naive to realize Heather's giant sunglasses and fatigue were side affects her heavy drinking and partying she had taken up these last two years. In her unhappiness with being forced to stay and work on her mastery she had chose a rather unhealthy means to vent her frustration. Harry really worried about her sometimes, most of the time he wished she would just grow up. She was supposed to be his _older_ sister, and staying for a mastery a few years was not the end of the world she made it out to be. He didn't understand what she was so angry about, but most of the time he thought it went much deeper than simply staying the extra years, he wasn't sure what but he was sure that Heather had some issues that she needed to deal with before they got the better of her.

Despite all this she was on track with her mastery, apparently McGonagall's strict influence kept her much more in line during the school year, it was simply summers that she lost all notions of self restraint.

Maybe Hermione would get through to her one day. Despite their alarming differences in personality, they had become quite close friends. They both had soft spots where Ginny was concerned, and helped with the more feminine touch sometimes needed, well Hermione did, Heather was more the cheap joke when someone was depressed and offer to hex whoever had made them that way.

However Ginny adored them both.

Ginny whom had gone back to get the lacewings which she had forgotten and Harry had pointed out to her after they went through their shopping list to be sure she had everything.

"Okay, now I have everything!"

"You said that before." Harry pointed out dryly.

Giving him an offended look she went on, "Well now I do."

Amanda who had left to the employees room returned to the counter.

"Are you ready to check out?" She asked flatly, clearly still somewhat offended by Harry.

"Yes ma'am." Harry said happily, trying to smooth the situation, where he was not sure exactly what he done, out.

She merely gave him a blank look at his upbeat tone.

Ginny placed all of their items carefully on the counter and Amanda tallied up the items.

When she announced the final price Ginny furrowed her eyebrows in quite the confused expression.

As they left she tugged on Harry's sleeve, "She charged three gallons too much."

Harry looked down, "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, I counted all of it before I put it on the counter. I just didn't want to say anything..." And Harry understood, her shyness coming out, Ginny had felt uncomfortable with correcting the woman.

"It's alright Gin, let's just forget about it." He said not wanting to further the discomfort of the situation with the cashier girl.

"You know you really should be more...saving." she said after searching for a word.

"Frugal?" Harry suggested.

"What's that?" She asked curiously.

"Saving money and stuff," he explained as they went off into the alley.

"Yes well you should be more...that." Ginny nodded. Harry rolled his eyes, he wasn't a big spender but he had more than plenty money with his inheritance and decent salary now that he didn't bother to carefully monitor every knut. And to him, three gallons was worth not re-entering the store.

Mrs. Weasley had pitched a fit when he had offered to take Ginny shopping. However her brother's books were so old at this point he had ignored her, she was for all intents and purposes his too, he would go buy her the supplies she needed as it wouldn't really even put a scratch into his funds. Besides, he didn't want to send her to Hogwarts trying to wear Ron's robes. So finally acquiescing, Mrs. Weasley had agreed only on the terms that he come over for dinner more than he already did, which was saying something as he was there almost every night.

They bought her robes next, which she took far less time than the potion ingredients as being the strange girl she was she was not particularly particular when it came to them, as she said, "They're uniforms, they all look about the same anyway."

They still made sure that she had nice, albeit simple, well fitting robes and other needs.

Then they made their way to the trunk store and slowly but eventually after many other stops, reached Ollivander's, the place Ginny was most excited to go.

**Please if you read it, then review it!**

**Thank you to everyone who review last chapter—**

**lemsv—Thank you, I hope you are still enjoying it. **

**BekaRoo—Glad you like it, this will be a very gradual growth between Harry and Ginny. This will be a very long story, we have barely even started the beginning really, but hopefully with all the action and drama I have planned it won't feel like it's dragging along. This chapter I found a little dull, but it was mainly just a catch up and explain chapter. **

**sbmcneil—thank you for reviewing, yes he was really feeling that way however it has gotten better now as he and ginny have grown very close, but he still struggles with a certain loneliness and feeling like he had to grow up too fast in almost helping raise Ginny, but at the same time feeling stuck in an inbetween zone while his peers move forward with their lives, example–ron tying the knot.**

**Aaron Leach—Thank you**

**Cartman1701—Thankyou, yes the relationships between all of the characters are a little different in this story, they still grow close but they are never quite the same as cannon. As experiences largely determine behavior I have found all of the personalties I have been writing for this story I have changed a little, because many of them have led different lives with this AU background, most noticeably being Harry and Ginny who both have slight differences from their cannon selves. Thank you so much for reviewing, I really appreciate your support!**

**AddyD90—Thanks**

**SakinaWithLove—Thanks, Bill well, someone had to play big bad brother and I picked him. I'm happy that you support the war change, I really thought about that and just found it unsuitable for the beginning of this. Thank you for reviewing!**

**Trilonias—I don't think they'll be any part of this story where I go into extreme detail about it, but I always pictured that without Harry, Ron would have offended Hermione greatly in their first year, and after that they would have somewhat ignored each other with some 'admiring from afar' in their later years but not a tremendous amount of interaction as at that point they would have had very different circles of friends, and then later as mature adults they would have finally began dating and really hit it off. Thanks for reviewing!**

**mdauben—Thank you, and I promise more Harry/Ginny connection I guess you could say in the near future, this chapter I was really just trying to establish what it going on after the time jump. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer—no ownership**

"Hello?" Harry called to the seemingly vacant store.

He had warned Ginny before they entered that Mr. Ollivander was very spooky and would likely randomly appear, when he had gotten his wand Ollivander had startled him so much that he had gone flying back wards into a wand case knocking down all of the merchandise.

"Hello..." Harry repeated to the sill empty looking store.

"Why hello Mr. Potter!" A voice said exuberantly from behind him, apparently ten years had not tremendously effected him as he was still severely startled, as was Ginny.

Tugging on his sleeve again she whispered up to him, "Does he practice that you think just to bother people?"

The thought had crossed his mind before.

Shrugging Harry looked back to the eccentric old wand maker, "Hello Mr. Ollivander we need a—"

"Wand yes, that is after all all I happen to sell." Ollivander said with a chuckle.

"Ginevra I presume?" He said as he looked down towards Ginny who squeaked out in a small voice, "Just Ginny."

Somehow managing to hear her subdued tone Mr. Ollivander went on, "Well _just_ Ginny, are you ready for your first wand?"

"Yes sir," She said quietly with her eyes cast down.

"A little louder dear, I am hard on the hearing in my old age." He smiled kindly at her, and Harry highly suspected he had heard her perfectly and was trying to bring her out of her shell somewhat.

"Yes sir," Ginny said meeting his eyes now with a more affirmative tone.

"Yes, you'll grow into a fine leader someday," Ollivander said somewhat vacantly as if to himself.

"Leader sir?" Ginny asked confusedly. Harry also was giving the man a quizzical expression.

"In time my dear, in time," and with that vague response he wandered off into the back of his shop.

Ginny looked up at Harry for clarification, "He was just complementing you Gin," Harry said, although he was also sure the old man meant more by it.

Ollivander had always been one of those people who seemed to almost have an omniscient air about him, if that were possible.

Coming back with a long, slender black case containing the first wand for her to try, he gingerly handed it to Ginny.

She reverently pulled it out of it's case, handling it with the utmost delicacy before boldly giving it a wave.

Glass shattered everywhere. Ginny flinched and blushed horribly looking to Mr. Ollivander in fear he would be upset with her.

"Apparently not." Was all the man said at seeing his store damaged so, although he must have seen it many times with those purchasing their first wands.

This went on for quite sometime, Harry had thought it had taken a long while to find his wand but clearly it was not near the record time Ginny was going to set in the wand store.

Seeing her disheartened expression Harry was quick to assure her, "Don't worry, there's a wand in here for you. Sometimes it just takes a while."

She looked over at him doubtfully, "It's been ages." She said softly.

"It took me forever to get my wand too."

"Really?" Ginny asked, with a hopeful expression that she was not alone in her long search for her wand.

"Yeah, Heather too. You know they say the mark of how powerful a person is is how long it takes them to find their wand..." Harry said with a smile, no that wasn't true but if it made her feel better then he could overlook the white lie.

"But Ron found his wand in about ten seconds." Ginny said with a smirk.

Harry laughed at that, "Well try not to rub it in then."

Ginny nodded and mimed locking her mouth and throwing away the key.

Carrying a stack of wands, Mr. Ollivander re-entered the room.

"Alright now Ms. Weasley, I'm sure the wand for you is in here somewhere." Mr. Ollivander said from behind his stack.

Taking a deep breath Ginny continued with her search for wands, still causing chaos in the shop as she failed to find her match.

Leaning over conspiratorially to Ollivander Harry asked, "You happen to have a third feather of Fawkes by any chance?"

Chuckling the old man went on giving Harry a knowing look that confirmed the suspicion Harry had had that he some how knew about the soul bond, "No Mr. Potter, I'm afraid it was only just the one other feather that he gave."

Nodding they watched Ginny as she neared the end of the stack he had recently brought out.

Sighing in frustration she turned to them after the last wand demolished the counter top.

"Well..." Mr. Ollivander seemed at loss for once.

"Just...stay here, I have a few others that may be worth a try." He said walking again to the back of the store.

Taking a deep breath Ginny pushed herself up to sit on the non-demolished counter top next to where Harry was standing as she swung her legs back and forth.

"Harry..."

"Yeah?" He asked.

"What if none of these wands work for me?" Ginny asked worriedly.

"One will—"

She interrupted him, "But what if none of them do?"

"Then we'll go to another wand shop." Harry said simply.

"But there is no where else besides Oll—"

This time it was Harry who interrupted her, "Gin the world is a lot bigger than the British Isles."

She blushed but nodded, "That's just a lot of trouble to go through is all."

"You're worth it." Harry said with a note of finality, she smiled at him thankful for his support, he was her favorite brother by far.

"Try this," Ollivander said as he came striding back in carrying a thin dark green case.

"What is it?" Ginny asked curious has to why he had only brought in one box instead of the usual stack.

"Unicorn hair and holly wood," he nodded towards Harry has he said what wood the wand was constructed from. A similarity but not as powerful as having the same magical core.

However, it seemed it did not matter as when Ginny waved the wand the room glowed and it was certain, to her great relief, that that was the wand for her.

"That particular unicorn reminded me a bit of you." Ollivander said to her.

"But sir, how could a unicorn remind you of a witch?" Ginny asked politely albeit confusedly.

"Sometimes it is the inner nature dear that transcends even species."

Ginny just looked at him curiously before Harry took the wand and they checked out, somewhat rushed has they were now very late to a lunch with Ron, Hermione and Heather.

"He's very..." Ginny started has they walked quickly down the now crowded muggle streets hand in hand to keep form getting separated in the crowd with Ginny being so small. Harry had just sent their newly bought possessions home.

"Creepy." Harry supplied.

"No, no...more than that."

"Vague," He offered as they rushed across the street.

"What's that?" Ginny asked as they hopped onto a bus to take them to the muggle restaurant where they were meeting the others.

"Unspecific." Harry responded paying the busman.

"Well yes, that too, but still more than that."

"Um...mystical."

"Sure." Ginny said giving up on her word search, some people there just were no words for.

They sat on the double decker bus as they made their way to the simple cafe for lunch.

Arriving they walked in to find Heather, Hermione and Ron already sitting in a booth looking towards the green door expectantly.

"There you are, thought you got carried away by hippogriffs at the alley for a little while there mate." Ron said loudly as they reached the table, a passing waitress shot him a strange look at that causing Hermione to slap him on the thigh in warning that there were muggles around.

"No, it just took a bit longer than expected for Gin to find her wand."

Ron nodded, "What did you wand end up being?" Hermione asked, she and Ron both looking very clean cut with their nice muggle clothes. Ron in a simple blue collared shirt with slacks while Hermione had a yellow and white sundress, apparently they were meeting Hermione's parents later that day.

Ron was determined to make a better impression as the first few had been somewhat...dismal.

Heather looked rather the opposite in her black t-shirt that had clearly seen better days, and worn out jeans that had been made and not bought that way. Her oversized sun glasses were resting on top of her hair which was down and very long now; all the way almost to her lower back.

"Unicorn hair and holly wood." Ginny answered Hermione as she slid into the booth beside Harry who had sat down next to his older sister.

"Sounds like a good wand," Ron smiled attempting to be nice but coming off as if he was speaking to a five year old. Nevertheless Ginny nodded with a smile to him. She loved Ron but honestly found him to be patronizing at times, like all her brothers were except Harry.

Heather took a long sip of her..water hopefully, Harry wasn't sure but seeing as it was only a little ways past noon he severely hoped it was water.

The table was strangely quiet, the adults had something they were burning to talk about but could not do so with Ginny there. It was making for a strangely tense atmosphere.

"So, drinks on me?" Heather asked sarcastically in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"It's only noon Heather," Hermione said not catching that she was joking.

"You're right seeing as it is noon and you are the one about to be married—I agree, you should buy the drinks..." Heather went on with a grin.

"I meant we won't be drinking," Hermione said flatly, a little annoyed with her friend's tactic to try to bring some kind of discussion.

"It's midnight somewhere..." Heather replied with a shrug. It was an unsuccessful attempt to liven the lunch as soon after that the table fell back into silence.

"Excuse me, I need to go use the loo," Ginny said, excusing herself from the strangely subdued lunch atmosphere.

As soon as she was out of hearing range Ron wasted no time, "Did you tell her?"

Taking a deep sigh Harry rubbed his forehead before replying, "No, not yet."

"Harry, you were supposed to—she's gonna know somethings up at Hogwarts..." Ron said sharply.

"Oh give him a break. You tell her if it's so easy, 'Hey Gin sorry to tell you that even though you're only eleven you're already married to this prat over here and you can _never _get a divorce because of some seriously freaky magic...yeah that's not difficult at all to tell an eleven year. _Not_ in the slightest, I don't know what's wrong with Harry for not wanting to tell her. In fact why don't we just make a big banner and announce it to the world simultaneously as we break the news to her." Heather finished in her usual sarcasm.

Ron shot her a dirty look, "I'm just saying that...we're running out of time."

"We have another month or so, but he's right, you do need to tell her. You don't want her to still be dealing with the shock of finding out when school does start." Hermione said wisely.

"Heather, actually has a point for once Hermione—" Heather huffed a little indignantly at a that, but Harry ignored her and continued. "—How do I tell her?"

Hermione gave him a long look before sighing, "I really don't know. This whole situation is so odd, you'd think I'd be use to it after these past couple years but even now it's still just...complicated."

"How do you think I feel?" Harry asked, a little harshly. A hard look from Ron quickly brought a mumbled 'sorry' from him.

"Well whatever you're going to do, do it fast because if there's one thing that's certain it's that she can't be sneaking off to your room every night without knowing why...she's been so sheltered before that we haven't really had to say anything.

She just never realized why it was strange, but now that she's about to enter Hogwarts, that environment is going to enlighten her quickly to the fact that there is a lot odd about your relationship, and in order to help keep it secret she'll have to understand.

She needs to know that people won't understand...just god forbid she ask why." Hermione went on.

"Why god forbid she ask why?" Ron asked when she was done, every one gave him an unimpressed look at that. Heather was the one rude enough to say so though.

"Really Ron...you can't think of why it would be a little bad for Ginny to ask why people would think ill of her and Harry for the fact that she sleeps in his bed every-night? Just—_really_ Ron...sometimes I wonder if Hermione is going to have to hold a one on one seminar your wedding night."

Blushing profusely they both looked at her flabbergasted.

"Seriously Heather, there is a line," Harry said not having the energy to really be upset about it, he privately thought it was sort of funny although grossly inappropriate.

"What is it with you today, snarky sarcastic Saturday?" Ron finally asked.

"I'm just going through a bitchy phase right now, it's lasted the past twenty three years but I'm sure I'll snap out it soon...although I cannot come up with any kind of alliteration for that. " Heather said with a shrug as her way of apologizing.

"I'm sure Malfoy could if you asked him." Harry said jokingly.

"Oh, Malfoy can go fuck off," Heather said, she and him had gotten along terribly and unfortunately been forced to often deal with one another as he acted on behalf of the board of governors for inspection of the school.

"What does fuck off mean?" A voice piped up from beside the booth making all four adults jump, startled as they realized Ginny had returned.

"Oh...Ginny...when did—how much have you heard?" Harry asked nervously.

"Just the last bit about Malfoy...but you didn't answer my question." She asked as she slid back into her seat.

"It's a rude way to tell some one to go way, in fact next time some one's bothering you tell them that and if they ask say Harry taught it to you—especially if it's your mother."

"_Heather!_" Was the chorus that went around the table.

"Oh come on, Molly's great but can you imagine her face, it would priceless." Heather said ignoring the disapproving expressions that were aimed at her.

"Ginny don't use that word it's—bad...okay?" Harry asked.

Heather seeing the glare she was receiving from her brother interceded, "I was only joking Gin, don't...don't _really _say that. People will look down on you for it, it's not a good habit to have a dirty mouth." Heather said with a much more sincere tone than she usually spoke with.

Ginny looked over at her, "But you said it."

"Yeah but, since when have I ever been the best example? Just trust me on this one, don't say it unless the situation really calls for it." Heather tried to rectify the situation.

"Don't say it ever, and always completely ignore anything Heather tells you, she is a bad influence." Harry interrupted shaking his head, saying the last part half seriously and half only joking.

"Oh yes, I just _love _to go around corrupting young children, in fact I've even been offered a job for it. It's just my destiny to teach kids swear words and such. I'm like the tooth fairy but better." Heather said in her usual sarcastic tone.

"The tooth fairy?" Ginny asked.

"It's a long story." Heather replied with a waive of her hand.

"Okay," Ginny said deciding against her curiosity to let the matter rest, and then she remembered something. "Is it like those words that Mum 'bout killed Charlie over when he dropped that table on his foot?"

"Yes, exactly like those," Ron said remembering the lecture his brother had gotten about not 'sullying his baby sister with his foul mouth,' apparently Mum needed not worry has Heather would take care of that a few years later, he thought wryly to himself.

The rest of lunch went by uneventfully, a lot of wedding talk while Heather and Ginny planned to go flying sometime around Sirius's house, which was a wonderful place to fly in the summer secluded as it was in Scotland.

Afterwards Harry and Ginny headed back to his apartment, still the same simple blue walled place, but now instead of sparseness it was filled with child's drawings from Ginny's artwork from the first year, this past year she had considerably lost interest as she began to understand her stick figures, while portraying sweet messages, were not very artistic.

The fridge instead of empty or filled with the boxes muggle ready-made food, was now brimming over the top with meals Mrs. Weasley sent over. She had been rather amazed that his ice box did not keep cool with magic but with muggle electricity.

There were pictures on the wall now, he, Ron, Hermione, Heather, Sirius, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were all featured in them, but Ginny's was probably the most popular figure.

The flat had changed a great deal over the last two years, the only thing really the same being the cool blue walls that had always reminded Harry of his child hood home with Sirius.

Walking in Ginny immediately ran over to their shopping bag to check that everything was still there, especially her wand.

"Can't I just do a few spells with it? Please Harry!" She asked, trying to give him her best adorable look to see if he would allow it. He sometimes did, she had long ago realized her mother was a lost cause.

She didn't expect the tired answer she received however, "Later Gin, I'll even teach you a new spell, but...right now—we have to talk about something."

"What do you want to talk about?" Ginny asked interestedly was she walked over to sit on the couch beside him. Harry was rarely this...serious...nervous...she wasn't sure what the word was.

Settling down on the small couch she propped her feet under her self and sat curled up like a cat, Harry looked around the room, straight at one of her drawings illustrating her new family she had drawn shortly after meeting them. Heather, Sirius and Harry, she had even caught Heather's giant sunglasses on the stick figure.

"Do you ever wonder why we always sleep in the same bed at night?" Harry asked.

Ginny looked over at him as if the answer was obvious, "To keep from getting lonely at night, or in case one of us starts dying or something...everyone has some one to stay with them at night. Mum has Dad, and Ron has Hermione and Fred has George."

Harry laughed at the last one, the family had taken great pains to make it seem to Ginny that it was totally normal for everyone, not just older committed couples, to have some one to share their bed with at night. Fred and George had volunteered, anytime Ginny was over their beds were made into one for her visit, she was under the impression that no one in the world slept alone.

Heather had even created a fictional person she told Ginny about who apparently kept her company at night. Or at least what Harry hoped was a fictional person.

Molly had wanted Ginny to homeschool, to avoid all of this. She was painfully naive even for an eleven year old, and Harry knew there would be some rude awakenings at Hogwarts for her. But he hadn't wanted her to miss out on his account the way he had on Voldemort's, whom Sirius was still convinced was waiting in hiding for the right moment.

"Well Ginny, the thing is...not everyone has someone to stay with them at night. Most people don't. Do you remember before you met me how you slept alone in your bed at the Burrow every night? Have you ever wondered why that changed?" Harry asked cautiously.

"I was too little then, I did not need anyone to stay with me...that's what Mum always said." Ginny said with an air of uncertainty, bright enough to sense a direction this conversation was going, misled enough these past couple of years to not understand completely yet.

"Ginny most people sleep alone, unless they are married or in a relationship like Ron and Hermione. Magic is powerful, it can make you do things, it can change your life...it changed both of ours a lot." Harry said slowly, still trying to figure out what words to use.

"Harry what are you saying? You're just going on about random things—I don't understand...and no! Couples are the only ones, there's Fred and George, and you and me...you're my brother...adopted one but still—and, and there's Heather and Bubba—" Ginny began impatiently and frustratedly.

"Bubba?" He interrupted, laughing at bit at that, that had been their childhood dog, well at least it really was a made up person he thought to himself.

"Yes, her friend from that place...Over the Rainbow she said it was called, it's in Germany." Ginny said wisely and seriously as if this proved her point.

Harry suppressed another laugh, Wizard of Oz...really Heather? He sobered up from his humor has he went to continue, she had to know. It was better for her to learn it here than at school, he shuddered at the thought, better for both of them.

"I know this is hard, but...we haven't been telling you the truth Gin. We just...you were only nine and that's so young, you're still just eleven—" Ginny huffed angrily at that. "—But no, most people sleep alone. The reason you and I always stay together at night is because of magic, really powerful magic..." Harry trailed off.

Looking into his eyes, with a very unsure, timid expression that did not fit her, Ginny asked in a small voice, "What kind of magic?"

"Have you ever heard of a soul bond?" Harry asked, knowing already the answer would be no. Those books would be ensured to be kept far out of Ginny's reach from the time this had happened.

"No." Ginny said simply, still waiting for the revelation she had a feeling would shake the foundations of her life, the revelation everyone else seemed to privy to, she thought with no small amount of annoyance.

"They don't happen very much. In fact one hasn't happened in hundreds of years, but Ginny...there is a soul bond between you and I."

"What does that mean exactly?" Ginny asked, still not fully understanding has she didn't know what a soul bond entailed.

"It's why we stay with each other at night, why I always hold your hand, the magic is painful and will make us sick if we don't have some kind of physical contact for so many hours in the day...and nighttime is simply the easiest, most effective way for that."

Ginny was still looking at him blankly, "Will it always be this way?" She asked.

"Yes." Harry said, knowing she would understand now.

"But Harry, what about when we get married someday? I don't think your wife will want me to still be sleeping in your bed, or my future husband will went to sleep in the same bed with you!" Ginny asked.

"Gin, they'll be no wife that could possibly sleep in my bed and not have you there in my future." Harry said quietly looking in her the eye so that she understood, that they would be one in the same.

And she finally understood completely, and it was a tremendously lot to take in, and so she rushed to the fire place flooing the the burrow. For despite how desperately grown up she was lately trying to act, she really only wanted her mother at that moment. Her mother to explain to her how they expected her to marry someday her oldest brother.

Rushing to the burrow Ginny threw herself on her perfectly made bed upstairs in the burrow, Molly was not home from grocery shopping yet. The bed was so pristinely made, not a wrinkle in the sheets, because it was never slept in Ginny reflected bitterly.

She hadn't really pictured her wedding much, she wasn't even really interested in boys like some of the girls her age and especially a bit older were, that she saw sometimes in London when she and..._him_ went out. She saw them blushing and spying across the room and had frankly not seen the allure. She sometimes looked a boy, or young man and thought to herself that they were rather good looking, but it was always just a random thought with no emotion tied to it. It never made her blush.

She hadn't really thought that about Harry, granted now that she was thinking on it she had to admit he was, and this thought was accompanied with a blush just like those muggle girls she saw when they went shopping.

And it made her grimace.

When she had occasionally pictured her wedding she always pictured a faceless, although handsome groom, and he was always someone she hadn't met yet. Someone she would meet later in life on some kind of great adventure, the kind that would have to be written into story books due to the splendidness of it.

She felt like that story had been stolen from her now, like her future was set in stone. She felt angry about that, what right did they have to dictate her life that way? She also felt, embarrassed and horribly inadequate. How was she supposed to act around him now? He had always just been Harry, her sort of adopted older brother, and they were wrong to think they had completely hidden everything from her.

She had suspected.

She had known something was amiss in the looks the adults would send each other sometimes, in the feeble story her mother had told her as she ceased sleeping in the bed she was laying on right now. But her nine year old self had been so lonely that she had latched on to the opportunity to have someone, even if it was, an at the time extremely grumpy, teenager.

Then as the these past two years past she had begun to think about her situation, and while she didn't have much precedence to base it off of, she knew there was something odd about it. But she had grown so close to him and gained such a good friend that she had simply brushed those thoughts under the rug and continued on her way.

Whatever it was it couldn't be that important, she had told herself. Her family would never hide something that could really hurt or effect her, she had told herself.

How wrong she had been.

Even with the thought that Harry was good looking, in a way that while she could say the same thing about Charlie it wasn't the same at all, it still didn't change the fact that blushing aside he was her brother, and ten years older than her.

What would he expect of her now? But she knew he would take care of her, he had always treated her like a younger sister and in doing so had fooled her that that was what she was.

He spent much more time with her than any other brothers. But was that just because he had too? Just because of this wretched bond? Did he even like her? What if he hated her? What if he found her completely annoying and he just spent time with her because he had too?

The thought broke her heart.

But a voice told her that that just couldn't be true, he listened more earnestly to her than anyone else, he spent far more time with her anyone, and he smiled during that time, he couldn't hate her.

She loved him, granted it was in such a familial sisterly way. She looked up to him, she adored him, but she never wanted to kiss him. That had always been saved for her faceless groom that she would meet on her great adventure. An adventure she didn't think she would get to have now.

He was her brother, her favorite brother. He so much a part of her family and you didn't marry your family, unless you were from Over the Rainbow according to Heather.

But she now seriously doubted that Over the Rainbow was a real place.

**Please Review.**

**Ginny's character is quite a bit different from Cannon Ginny, very much more mature in some areas, but extremely more child like in many others. The bond and her very different relationship with Harry and the rest of her family has made her quite different. I interested to see what house you think she'll be in, I've already decided but would love to hear some predictions. **

**Thankyou to those who review last chapter—**

**Vanity nightwish—that's cool though, I wish I was bilingual **

**Reader84—thank you for pointing out the mistake I will go back and correct that soon.**

**BekaRoo—Ginny is very smart, and a talented witch in this story. But I'm not going to give her any weird powers like fifteen animagus forms and the ability to master ridiculously advanced spells in ten seconds or anything like that. **

**mwinter1—you'll see**

**mdauben—school is coming up for her so your questions will be answered**

**Aaron Leach—thanks**

**Mimi—first boyfriend...well she's only eleven and has far less interest in boys than her cannon self did at that age**

**SakinawithLove—Heather will sort out her own problems in time, Ginny is quite a bit different from cannon, but so is Harry is you look closely...the result of completely different childhoods than cannon**

**walll—thanks**

**lemsv—thanks**

**Trilonias—true but I just find this tremendously more convenient than PMs, and I like that this way when I answer a question its for everyone to see not just who I send the message to. But I understand your point. **

**xoxogossipgirlxoxo—Well their relationship gets much more detailed has she gets older, and more complicated for that matter, which you can see the beginnings of now. But I promise some HG cuteness soon**

**AddyD90—thanks, always wanted to write Hermione as a bit of a bridezilla**

**canterwoodgames—thanks**

**sbmcneil—he genuinely loves her like a sister, sometimes even kind of like a daughter, but he just doesn't see them working out in a romantic way and that is what makes him uncomfortable is their future**

**Cartman1701—thanks, that will be a long process for the both of them that transition, and it won't really begin until she is older.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer—this becomes repetitive **

**Chapter 10: Anger Management **

Ginny had never given any one the cold shoulder, for one she was only eleven and in previous years had been far too talkative to even imagine self enforced silence, and two; she had never had a reason until now.

So it was very uncomfortable for Harry, irritating for Molly, worrying for Hermione, and just a bit amusing for Heather when she began to give all of them the silent treatment.

They had expected yelling, screaming, tantrums, and and a lot of emotional bouts of angst over the revelation of the soul bond. They had not expected this icy little girl to ignore them. It was the one thing they never imagined hotheaded Ginny doing.

It made for very awkward nights with Harry now as he barely touched her fingertips from an arm's length away as she requested. That was the only time she had spoken to him since he had told her the truth.

What they didn't know was a large reason Ginny did it was not to punish them, she did see that as an added perk, but the main reason she quit speaking to all of them was simply because she didn't know what to say.

When alone in her room she would stare out the window while she tried to sort out her feelings.

She was angry certainly, angry enough to yell at every single person she knew.

But what would she say to them?

Some part inside her recognized that they had been right, at nine she certainly couldn't have handled this kind of...pressure. Well, actually at nine she probably would have thought the entire situation quite fun as she wouldn't have understood the seriousness of it. Now she didn't think so.

She wasn't just angry at her family, she was just furious in general. She wasn't even angry at the force of magic for doing this to her, but she also acknowledged that she couldn't really hold a grudge against magic. For one it was an amazing force that encompassed her entire life, and secondly she best as well be angry at the ocean, or the wind, or the sun for they would do about as much good to quarrel with as magic.

Part of her, the part she kept the furthest hidden from everyone else, and the part she would never admit to, felt a bit...not exactly happy but something that could be considered in the realm of positive feelings.

While it was very awkward, more so than can really be put into words, to start considering the person you basically called your brother in a romantic sense, she did admit deep down somewhere within herself that he was rather good looking, and she did enjoy spending time with him, but she would quickly remind herself that she was only eleven. And those thoughts would be put away with a heavy blush.

That was another reason she stayed silent, she had no idea what to say to Harry now.

The whole situation was painfully awkward, and as a pre-teen she thought it was very unfair for her to have deal with such a complicated matter.

She felt now constantly uneasy, self conscious and increasingly critical of an appearance that before the had paid little mind to.

Needless to say, that this had not been an easy month in the life of Ginny Weasley.

And so it was with these feelings that she trudged through nine and three quarters with her parents, four brothers, two good as sisters, and one...she didn't know what.

Percy had been too busy at work, and Charlie was in Romania. But Ron, the twins and Bill had all made time to come. Part of her wished they hadn't.

It made her feel like even more of the family baby as well as drawing attention when they had such a mass of red hair.

On the other hand part of her was immensely happy they did even thought she wasn't necessarily showing it.

She would have marveled at how confusing and opposite her emotions were if she had not been feeling that way about everything lately.

Hermione of course would be there to support her, and Heather had to take the train to get back to Hogwarts for her apprenticeship with McGonagall. She could've apparated but she always said there was something special about the train, especially since she had been unable to attend school and ride it herself when she was younger.

"Little Ginikins off to school," Fred said in a teasing voice. She normally laughed at her brother's antics, but now they just irritated her.

She shot him a glare but said nothing.

"Still with the silent treatment eh?"

She nodded not looking into his eyes.

Ron was staring at the train as if in a memory, which Ginny thought he probably was.

Bill ruffled her hair, which really annoyed her.

Molly engulfed her into a warm, long, overly long really, hug which stole of all Ginny's breath. Arthur patted her on the back as she gasped to get her air back.

"Now be sure to write tonight Ginny, I want to hear all about your sorting. I'm sure it will be fine though dear, nothing to worry about. You'll be a fine addition to Gryffindor." Mrs. Weasley said in that worried way of hers.

That was another thing grating on Ginny's nerves. Despite her silence she had had explained to her all about the sleeping arrangements at Hogwarts.

Harry would be acting as a teacher's assistant to Sirius in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and a special room had already been prepared for her in Gryffindor Tower, she would use it on account of 'medical need,' they were inventing some kind of story about a bizarre illness where she had to sleep under a special charm, hence the separate room, and there fore would not be able to take part in the regular accommodations in Hogwarts.

The truth of the matter was that this special room in the tower would have a connecting secret passage way that would allow her to access Harry's room which was very near Gryffindor tower, behind a portrait only a little ways from the fat lady.

What annoyed her was that they had already sorted her.

The hat had never sat on her head, but they had already decided for her simply because it was where her family had been.

This was also one of the matters she had always had mixed feelings on, she had always dreamed of being in Gryffindor. However part of her desperately wanted to stand out from her family.

All of her brothers had been successful, amazingly so. Bill was simply cool, being a curse breaker only added to that, Charlie was a dragon keeper, there were very few of those in the world, Percy despite his prat like behavior was very successful, the twins had more gold than anyone with their own business they invented, and Ron was no slouch having become an auror which was a tough field.

Then there was Ginny who at this point had...made her bed that morning.

Well despite the gravity of that accomplishment Ginny wanted more, and she wanted to step out the shadow of the Weasley brothers desperately.

And so while she had always thought she would be a Gryffindor, a very large part of her resented it as one more thing she was simply being shuffled into as the youngest Weasley.

Another part of her resented it because lately she already felt like choices were being snatched away form her and her destiny decided by this entire fiasco with Harry, and she didn't like another thing, even one as simple as a school house, also being decided.

For anyone that went to Hogwarts knew that school houses were far from simple.

Ginny climbed onto the train, feelings a little bit of excitement despite her heavy thoughts. She had had a rather subdued good bye with everyone, especially Harry since she would see him anyhow only a few hours later.

He unlike his sister, had opted to go ahead and apparate.

Harry had actually thought that it might be better to give Ginny the ride there to have some space and be with her fellow first years instead of have him hovering over her, just like Heather he too had a childish desire to ride the train after having missed out on his Hogwarts years. But for Ginny's sake he apparated instead.

Ginny, now on the train, felt her excitement begin to dull instead being replaced with nervousness as they pulled out of the station.

She knew no one her age and had no idea where to sit, and so it was with a fearful mind that she decided to break the icy silence she had been treating everyone with and murmured to Heather who had been waving good bye beside her and was now turning to go sit into a compartment herself in the back.

"Do you—do you think I could sit with you?" She asked quietly.

"You really should get to know some of the other first years, make some friends..." Heather trailed off seeing the extreme trepidation on Ginny's face. Remembering how shy she was with strangers, Heather decided to take some pity on her and allow her to face this particular fear at a later time.

"Yeah, come on Gin, I sit at the back in compartments reserved for teachers and the like. It's across from the prefects. Though most teachers hardly ever use it, in fact I haven't had any company to Hogwarts in a couple years. One time Madam Prince accompanied me up here, that was not fun."

Ginny couldn't help but laugh a little at the image of Heather and Madam Prince sharing a compartment for the long train ride.

She vaguely wondered if it was allowed for Heather to be doing this but quickly decided she didn't care.

Ginny was relieved to see that no one would be sharing the compartment this year with them, and she and Heather talked about random things and their conversation lacked any serious aspects all the way there.

Dancing around issues they both knew would uncomfortable and they both knew Hermione would have forced them to discuss in length, feelings and all if she had been there.

They arrived at Hogwarts as night began to fall, and Ginny timidly departed from Heather, to crawl into a row boat, not speaking to the other occupants who were beside themselves with enthusiasm as they pointed in amazement at the splendor that was their school.

There were excited exclamations going around the first year boats as they approached the castle. Even for pure bloods, the privilege of seeing Hogwarts was usually reserved for beginning school unless the circumstances were unique.

Ginny had seen the school before, but there was still something more special about it in the dark of the night as it's reflection was casted over the lake, glittering in the water as she approached the sorting she had very mixed feelings about.

The girls in her boat, who must have come from Wizarding families, were discussing their excitement about some one she had lately been attempting not to think about.

They after the initial sighting did not seem so preoccupied with the beautiful ancient castle but rather with a black haired wizard.

"I heard he'll be assisting all year in Defense!"

"He's so cute! Most of the professors are so old..."

"Well Jean come on he's not exactly a professor, but yeah Defense should be much more _interesting_."

"I know! Did you see that picture in the prophet, those are some _green _eyes!"

Ginny began to block out their conversation as it was putting her in an unexplainable beyond irate mood.

_Idiotic—idiots! Stupid fan girls, he's ten years older then them anyway—I should know. And yet they're going to sit here and..._

She thought to herself, going into an internal monologue about how stupid they were.

She fervently hoped that _Jean _and the others would not be in Gryffindor since that was apparently where she herself was already pre-ordained in everyone else's eyes to go.

With some effort she got her thoughts away from them but the sharp feelings she had a harder time shaking loose of.

They managed to arrive at the castle with no one falling in the lake, which apparently according to Hagrid was a more common occurrence then one might believe.

Her sour feelings lightened somewhat as McGonagall gave her routine stern speech, many of Ginny's classmates looked nervous at her words but Ginny had heard about her from the twins. Instead of fearing her Ginny marveled at how serious she could be after giving it so many times.

_Surely she must be tired of stressing the 'houses are our families talk.' If it was me I would have lost the intense tone for a bored one a long time ago. Then again it is only an annual thing, maybe she really saves some energy to properly frighten first years as a method to head off later trouble. If that's so then she failed miserably with Fred and George. _

These musings were cut short as they entered the Great Hall, a place Ginny had never before seen when she had been to the school the few brief visits before.

The floating candles worried her as she wondered if there was any charms to prevent the hot wax melting off of them from dropping onto students heads. Surely there was though, however when she thought about it the wizarding world was not known for common sense.

Then she began to wonder who probably, a thousand years ago, had hot candle wax drop onto their head before the charms which must prevent it now were put into place.

Her highly random thoughts were once again interrupted by McGonagall as she began to sort the first years.

More aware of her surroundings now Ginny looked up at the staff table to see Harry seated beside his older sister, the latter of the two giving her a large grin while the former seemed to be engrossed in a conversation with Sirius who sat on Harry's other side.

Ginny returned Heather's smile marginally; not in the same toothy fashion that the older witch had given her.

She then looked around the hall, the Hufflepuffs were quietly whispering to their friends with smiles and pleasant faces. the Ravenclaws were largely quiet during a sorting, as if taking the ceremony very seriously, but then again they always had been the more rule abiding of the houses.

The Gryffindors were the most stark contrast to this, their conversation and even occasional escaping boisterous laughs were the subject of many glares asking for silence from the staff table.

The Slytherins were not absorbed in the sorting like the Ravenclaws, but they did not speak or whisper like the other two houses. They seemed to evaluate each new student and communicate to their fellow housemates in subtle looks and gestures, often boredom for the procedure written in these expressions.

Looking at her future table Ginny felt a bit of anger rise come to the surface again, how was it fair to assume she would be just like her family?

Hadn't they taken away her choices and shielded her enough? Yet now they wanted to choose who she would essentially even be friends with at school as one's house always did tend to be ones allegiances and friendships.

Why did everyone cast her aside in a general lot of Weasley instead of recognizing her as an individual? This hadn't bothered her quite as much before though it had always been a sore support, but now in light of her family's _treachery, _as she was calling it, she wanted nothing more than to stand in her own light away from the shadow of her family tree.

And it was with these thoughts that she the next act broke her musing, once again it was McGonagall, but now she was directly calling her.

"Weasley, Ginevra."

She walked shakily up to tiny, three legged wooden stool, wondering vaguely in the back of her mind how old the rickety thing must have been. But those thoughts were cast aside as the hat dropped over her head.

The last sight she saw was Harry, but she missed the smile he gave her as she only glimpsed him before the hat obstructed her vision.

_Another Weasley_

Ginny felt her temper heighten, the hat it seemed would be no different then any witch or wizard.

_Many years since I had a witch of the Weasley family to sort, very different mind the female one is. _

At those words some of her frustration quieted from the bright flare it had been.

_Certainly a great amount of ambition, and intelligence, but too much hot headed nature for the house of Salazar_

Ginny hesitantly conceded that point.

_Much ambition to stand apart from one's family, understandable coming from such a large and rather successful household of wizards. But will you be able to do so little witch? Rather talented brothers you did have. _

She seethed at that proclamation, she would be just as good of a witch as any of her brothers were wizards, she vowed.

_Very shy, but you'll pass that stage soon. That fiery spirit means Gryffindor is the house your heart most matches—you shall be another Weasley in your family's hou—_

In that moment Ginny felt a great deal of white hot anger, more than the irksome frustration she had constantly been swatting at as if it were a fly all summer.

Now it was as if all those moments of frustration curled into one flaming ball of fire that consumed her heart and mind. All the times her brothers and parents had so blatantly patronized her, and all their lies now unveiled rushed into her mind.

And in a moment of acting before thinking she interrupted the Sorting Hat's monologue to hurl her own thoughts back at it.

Another Weasley, was just the one thing she could not be, she would be Ginny Weasley but not another Weasley. She could not have just another choice taken from her, if this was all she got to choose about her life, which it seemed it might be, then she was going to decided her own school house and it would not be the pre-picked Gryffindor they were all trying to stick her in.

_Put me in Slytherin then and I'll prove to you that I'm just as good as my brothers. _

She thought fiercely, hoping the sorting hat would hear her, which it did.

_You have a Gryffindor spirit, it shall be seen if you conviction is lasting...but if that is your choice—_

"SLYTHERIN."

Instead of the small voice in her head this one boomed from the flap of the hat projecting itself across the hall.

However that conviction wavered as she looked into the cool expressions of her house mates, the only house that had actually managed to contain their shock, and made her way to a table where she received no applause as the hall went entirely quiet.

Regret began to douse her temper rather quickly as she stood on legs that felt completely lacking in solidity and did her best to walk smoothly toward the green and silver.

**As always please review. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, as I'm pressed for time at the moment I'm not going to individually respond to reviews from last chapter but still it is a sincere thank you to those that did review. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer—no ownership **

Dinner passed by slowly, unbearable slowly.

None of her housemates attempted to speak to her, but she was the subject of many whispers, pointed fingers, and stares from not only her own house but the other three as well.

Not eating much due to her lack of appetite, Ginny looked around anxiously. None sat near her at the Slytherin table and she had never felt more isolated.

Her cheeks were in a constant state of red as she ducked her head to hide the brown eyes that tears pooled in.

She sneaked a glance at the staff table where Harry was talking quietly to Sirius, their expressions were very intense.

Draco Malfoy who was sitting toward the other end of the Slytherin table, there as a representative of the board of governors but choosing for this meal to sit with some of his previous Slytherin housemates, was giving her an odd look. But when she her head to inspect it further he was animatedly joking with the upper class-men and she wondered whether she had imagined it.

Looking back toward the staff table she caught Heather staring at her. The older witch offered a smirk and mimed gagging while gesturing towards Malfoy.

Ginny rolled her eyes at that, Heather always was a bit over-dramatic where Malfoy was concerned. To quote her she said he was the spawn of the devil's consort who lived to spread evil amongst Great Britain.

She was very overdramatic.

McGonagall saw her miming and shot her a quick look leading Heather to suddenly sit up perfectly straight and send the aging professor an innocent smile.

Ginny turned back to her food feeling slightly better from the familiar antics.

The feast, thankfully, did end eventually. And as she made her way to the Slytherin common room trailing behind the group slightly as they all shot her distasteful looks when she neared them too closely, she felt something warm and familiar against her hand.

As she opened her palm she saw that a note, which had not been there moments before, now lay in it. Looking around she noticed the retreating figure of a young man with messy black hair, and clutching the note tightly she continued to make her way back to the Slytherin common room.

Slewyn, one of the fifth year prefects, a boy with a rather nasally voice and short neat brown hair turned swiftly toward them as soon as they entered the common room through the stone wall.

Ginny had to admit that while very different then the cosy, warm Gryffindor common room that had been described to her, this room was still very...cool.

There, she had thought it—something about Slytherin was cool! Fred and George would never forgive her if they found out.

But standing underneath the green tinged ceiling that afforded a view of the lake above, she admired the stark difference from warm, cosy Gryffindor.

Certainly there was something colder about the Slytherin common room, more than just the air, but it was fitting and in it's own way...dare she think it...bad ass.

Slewyn however was now beginning his monologue, his dark brown eyes looking very intently at all of them before he started pacing in front of them with his hands clasped behind his back.

Ginny thought he looked very much like every villain in the muggle movies as he did this, striding back and forth addressing the group—she half expected him to start blurting out his plans for world domination instead of where the loo was and such.

"Now, I do not know what you did in your home lives, nor do I care." She also thought he spoke strangely proper and with an air that conveyed no small amount of haughtiness. But perhaps that was just a Slytherin quality.

"In Ravenclaw they are surely instructing their little first years, to be good little students and never break a rule. Gryffindor the idiots are just scouting them for quidditch talent, that is all they're good for after all..." This was punctuated by a few laughs which made anger rise up in Ginny in defense of her family. Some of those laughing looked at her flushing cheeks and sneered at her as they continued to laugh.

"And—well it is no matter what those worthless Hufflepuffs do anyhow."

One girl in particular, who had long, beautiful brunette hair that just absolutely shined, laughed so shrilly and hysterically at the two jokes that it was ridiculous. Upon noticing Ginny's glare she seemed to only laugh harder, clearly taking mirth from the red head's discomfort.

Slewyn eyed Ginny rather shrewdly as she was the only one not laughing, but he continued without a word to her.

"But here we conduct ourselves very differently. We do not care what petty rules you break. It does not matter. What does matter is that you are not caught—bring shame upon this house and the consequences will be _severe_." He let that word hang, a little melodramatically for Ginny's taste. If he wanted to learn to threaten people into behaving he would need to take some lessons from Molly Weasley before he scared her, she thought.

"You are Slytherins, be sly. If you want to hex someone, do it so that no one can prove it was you, even better—frame a Gryffindor. Now, past that note you are also expected to stay out of the older classmates' way. If you have a question, ask someone standing here in this room with you, not including myself. If they cannot answer it, then deal with it yourself. We are not your substitute parents and you should not expect to be coddled, because it will not happen. Do not make needless noise in the common room, and do not bring any kinds of ridiculous fights before any of the prefects, especially myself. It is time to become self reliant, if there is one thing you will learn in this house—that is it!"

He stopped there looking around the room as if to press that point.

"Girls your dormitories are down that hall," he gestured towards a dark hallway lit by green lanterns toward the left.

"Boys, you are this way." And with that he left the room, the first year boys hurriedly striding to catch him as he led them towards their dorms.

"Well he's an inviting one," Ginny muttered to herself has he swept out of the room with his robes billowing behind him in a way so characteristically Slytherin. She wondered if he had rehearsed that to be so...well she hated to be redundant but dramatic did seem to fit what she was trying to say. He was a rather dramatic fellow. Perhaps he taken 'cloak billowing' lesson from Snape.

She snorted at the thought.

One girl, who was tall for their age, with shoulder length blonde hair and hazel eyes that seemed kind, smiled at her comment. However the moment that might have began a friendship then was ruined, when the brunette girl that had been laughing so ridiculously earlier turned towards Ginny.

"Say something blood traitor?" She asked, her pretty but cold blue eyes surveyed Ginny.

Blushing furiously and looking around at the other four girls for help, Ginny was somewhat unsure of what to do.

Two girls, one extremely fair haired with black eyes that did not seem to compliment her other coloration, and the other with a mouse brown mane and brown eyes to match, seemed to be rallying behind the shiny haired brunette. They both had looks of excitement at the prospect of whatever they were going to do to Ginny.

One girl seemed rather indifferent to situation, her black hair back into a bun she seemed to already be heading into the dormitory.

Another girl, who had auburn hair, a much, much darker red then the fire that was Ginny's, seemed sympathetic but too afraid to help.

Only the blonde girl who had been sharing the smile with her earlier was eyeing the other two with distaste.

Finally deciding that she wasn't a Gryffindor anyway and there was no need for her to prove any kind of bravery, Ginny just left following the black haired girl to the dormitories.

It seemed the three bitches were not finished yet though.

"We were talking to you Weasley, didn't your mother teach you any manners!"

Ginny's face burned and she clenched her fists, feeling the note Harry had given her against the palm of her right hand. She kept walking however determined to ignore them in hopes they would become discouraged.

She reached the first year's room and went over to her bed, happy to see her trunk had made it there. She had had some vague fear it would be taken to Gryffindor in mistake. The key to her trunk sat in her pocket but before she could reach to pull it out she felt a tearing sensation in the back of her head.

She gasped, as her head was ripped backwards, the mouse haired girl having a hold of it.

She struggled and reached to hit her away but her arms were grabbed by the blonde one with the black eyes before she could so much as touch the other girl.

"Gwendolyn she almost hit me!" The mousy haired girl cried to their chocolate haired leader.

_Well you idiot you yanked my hair out, you're still yanking my hair out!_

Ginny thought to herself.

"Now that is just unacceptable Weasley. Ella is from a good, _proper _family; rather unlike yours. It is clear your dear Mumsie really didn't teach you _anything_ but I guess she was too busy whoring around to—"

Ginny violently kicked out at Gwendolyn's shin, almost catching her but the blue eyed girl was able to jump out of the way barely in time. She wasn't sure exactly what 'whoring around,' was but she was sure it wasn't a compliment whatever it entailed.

"Now, now, Wealsey that wasn't very nice. Here in Slytherin we are lady like—how you got sorted into this house I'll never know." Gwendolyn laughed at her own joke.

Ginny could hear the other three girls banging on the door asking to be let in, as the three that were in the room with her now had locked them out. The indifferent, black haired one included who had been removed when they had entered.

The door could be locked from the inside and was not able to be opened from the outside when it was.

Finally deciding just to damn it to hell as they were beating her anyway, Ginny opened her mouth, "My mother had plenty of time to teach me not to associate with spoiled, nasty little girls like you!"

Gwendolyn adopted a very ugly look on her pretty face however before she could say anything, the blonde one cried out something which stopped Ginny's heart in dread.

"Look she has something in her hand!" She exclaimed while waving about note Harry had given Ginny.

Gwendolyn had a frighteningly happy expression has she plucked the note away from the blonde one.

"Good work Alex!" She said like one might say to their dog after it rolls over for them.

"Well let's have a read then," she sneered in Ginny's face.

"_Ginny," _she put on a rather stupid voice has she read the note, her hand on her hip as if she was a teacher taking a note from an unfocused student in class.

"_Meet me in my room, look in the top of your trunk and you'll find something that will help you."_

She tucked the note into her pocket as if it were hers after that, a movement that perhaps made Ginny's blood boil more than anything else Gwendolyn had done that night.

"Who are you meeting Weasley? I'll admit you are a bit young—" She said, and Ginny indignantly thought—_as if she is any older!_

"—to be having such _relations, _but I guess money must be tight in the household this year. Well I won't let us get in the way of you making a living," and with a wave of Gwendolyn's hand the other girls released Ginny.

Ginny began to let out a sigh of relief that it was over when Gwendolyn stopped from where she had been walking to the water closet and stood with her back facing Ginny for a moment.

Then she abruptly turned on her heel back to the youngest Weasley.

"But what exactly is in your trunk that would be so helpful?" She said curiously, a vindictive smile on her face as she tapped her chin with her finger.

Her minions, the mouse haired and blonde haired girl were quick to rush over to Ginny's trunk and try to rip it open, but of course it didn't work.

She ushered them out the way and pulling out her wand with a look of triumph on her face said, "Alohamora."

Ginny smirked then not being able to help it.

That trunk had been very expensive. Ginny had even objected Harry buying it for her as there were much less costly trunks, but it was expensive for a reason.

It was only able to be opened by the key, which as of right now was sitting in Ginny's pocket.

It was virtually indestructible and the key, and the key alone could open it.

Not to mention that _Gwendolyn's,_ Ginny even thought her name with spite, wand movement had been completely horrendous and Ginny doubted the spell would have worked on even a weak lock.

Hermione had taught her that one a while ago, and Ginny felt a little bit of warmth in her heart and a confidence from thoughts of one of the girls she loved like a sister.

Gwendolyn however stopped and looked closer at the trunk then as if seeing it for what it was.

"I'm surprised you could afford one of these Weasley, well I guess prostitution does have it's benefits."

Ginny wondered what prostitution, or for that matter whoring was. Most of the nasty comments Gwendolyn had been spitting at her had not understood that well by Ginny due to her sheltered life. And she felt a lot of anger over that right now because she hated nothing more then being insulted and not even being able to understand it.

"Where is the key?" Gwendolyn was speaking to her again.

Ginny however had already made up her mind, if she was going to be in the house that was known for flight rather then fight, then she was damn sure going to take advantage of it.

She turned, quickly unlocked the door and ran as fast as her legs would carry her.

She sprinted past her other three other dorm-mates who, still waiting by the door looked bewildered, she ran past all of the older students lazing about the common room, and she ignored Slewyns shout about 'disrupting,' them as she kept running.

She ran out of the dungeons all the way to a portrait a little ways from the fat lady, and gasping for breath with a terribly painful side stitch she murmured the password, "Evans," to the picture of a young girl in a field of flowers, to be admitted in.

She stumbled in and onto one of the chairs immediately inside and struggled to catch her breath.

Harry who had been sitting at the small desk in his room looked up at the hurried entrance.

"Gin—why are you breathing so hard? Where's the cloak?" He asked worriedly as he got up to make his way over to her.

However instead of answering Ginny just burst into tears.

She hadn't cried so hard since she was six and she walked in on her sixteen year old brother, Ron, who had promised her he would play hide and seek with her, but instead she had found him snogging Lavender Brown.

He had yelled at her to leave, and when she asked him about hide and seek he had told her he didn't have time for her 'silly stupid little games.' Honestly the entire incident had made her dislike Lavender despite the fact it wasn't entirely, or exactly her fault. She still however disliked Lavender. She was certain Hermione would have slapped Ron and told him to keep his promise instead of continuing to snog.

She still remembered that, she had burst into tears and hurriedly ran into the orchard where she climber her favorite tree and where she had stayed until that night when Ron had come out and bashfully apologized, by order of their mother, telling her he was just flustered earlier.

However now she was sitting there sobbing just as hard, if not more, then she had been then.

Harry, not completely understanding but knowing it had not been a pleasant experience in the Slytherin dorms, walked over to the chair, which was large enough to afford him to sit next to her. He then rubbed her back soothingly like Sirius had done for him when he was seven and the reality of the fact he would _never_ know his parents had fully hit him.

"Shh, it's alright Gin. I'm here now." He said in a soft voice, as she continued crying into his shoulder, she was now mumbling about something but her voice was so subdued and racked with sobs it was impossible to understand.

"They _hate_ me!" He finally understood something she was saying as the sobs began to quiet down.

"I'm sure they don't—"

"They grabbed my hair, while the other one held my arms back and they called Mum all these words that—that I don't even know what they mean! They hate me!" Ginny finished interrupting whatever platitude Harry had been planning to say.

Tears still streaming out of her eyes Harry continued rubbing her back entirely unsure of what to do has he had never seen her this upset.

"What exactly did they call your Mum?" he finally asked, partly out of curiosity and partly just out of something to say.

"A whore! _Whatever _that means!" Ginny almost shouted. Harry winced, partly due to just how naive Ginny was, partly due to how much that naivety was going to be lost this year, and partly due to how cruel those girls were actually being. He just couldn't believe that they would physically assault her in such a way.

He would think she was being over dramatic but that was more Heather's speciality.

"It's just... a really nasty word." Harry said, not wanting to go into what exactly it curtailed.

Ginny however took great offense at this and ripping herself out of his arms stood to turn and glare at him with her arms folded across her chest angrily.

"I'm so tired of no one telling me anything." She said, with ice cold venom instead of with the usual passionate anger and Harry saw a hint of why she had become a Slytherin tonight.

"I'm so tired of being treated like a little girl! How does anyone _ever _expect me to grow up if they never let me see or hear or just know anything about—_anything!"_

She glared at him waiting for a response.

"Look why don't you write Hermione and ask her, I just don't feel like I—like I would do as good of a job explaining it." Harry responded hastily.

"How you're a Gryffindor is beyond me, anytime an awkward matter of conversation ever comes up all you do is refer me to Hermione!" Ginny said frustratedly.

Harry rubbed his eyes as he took a deep breath.

"Who says I would have been a Gryffindor anyway? Heather and I weren't ever sorted y'know."

Ginny stared at him having forgotten that fact. "Yeah but come one, everyone knows you would have been a Gryffindor," she said sullenly.

"No. Everyone does not know, they assume—just like we assumed you would be a Gryffindor and see where that got us."

Seeing Ginny's stricken look he hastily went on grabbing for words, "Which we shouldn't have done, we shouldn't have assumed. You are your own person, not your brothers and I think everyone just...forgot that for a moment."

However the troubled look did not leave her face as she came to sit back next to him, her body having slouched like all the defiance and life was taken out of her.

"Do you think my family will disappointed?" She asked in an uncharacteristically small, very insecure voice.

Putting an arm around her again Harry tried to reassure her.

"No, they might be a little...surprised, but Ginny they love you. I know you're angry about...some of the things that have happened lately, but we all love you and we never meant it to hurt you. You're right, we have been sheltering you too much and it's time to let you grow up some, but we just wanted you to enjoy your child hood, it's not like we all got together and said 'Hey you want to really mess with Ginny? Let's all pretend to sleep with other people like it's normal and not tell her about the soul bond, it''ll be hilarious!'"

Ginny cracked a very small smile at that, the first one she had given Harry in quite some time, which made him feel quite a bit better.

"Well, sometimes it just sure feels that way." She said tiredly.

"I know, and I'm sorry about it. It was just what we thought best at the time."

They sat there in silence for a moment before Harry went on.

"I think it's really cool that you're in Slytherin."

Ginny raised an eye brow at him, "Yeah?"

"Yeah, I mean they're supposed to sly, and let's face it you never get caught, and the one time you did get caught for putting the glue in Sirius's hair and making it stand up straight you just smiled your way out of it anyway—if that is not sly then what is? Not to mention proud, and you definitely are very proud, maybe a bit _too_ much pride."

Ginny lightly punched him on the arm.

"And—green will look _much _better with your hair then the red would have!" He tapped her on the nose with his finger as he said this as fathers often do when they are teasing their daughters.

Ginny made a face at him, "Y'know, I think you're turning into a tad bit of a girl Harry."

Harry looked playfully offended at that, "Far, far too much wedding planning with Hermione—at the feast tonight I found myself upset that the napkins didn't match!"

Ginny laughed a little bit about that.

They were silent again for a moment, Ginny finally beginning to really calm down and feel better.

"What was in my trunk?" she asked abruptly.

"What?" Harry asked startled out of his thoughts.

"What was going to help me that was in my trunk?" Ginny repeated.

"Oh, well it was supposed to be a surprise, but, well a kind of family heirloom of mine, I guess you could say."

Giving him a look that clearly said 'please explain further,' Ginny waited.

"My Dad's old invisibility cloak," Harry said simply.

"Your Dad had an invisibility cloak!" Ginny said excitedly.

"Oh what Fred and George wouldn't have killed for that when they were in school!" She went on.

"Well you have to use it responsibly though," Harry said seriously.

Seeing the bewildered look he was getting he continued, "Hermione said I had to say that."

Ginny grinned.

"I'll tell you what, I know an elf that works here that could go fetch your things—"

"But the lock?" She interrupted.

"Elf magic works differently they can get in without it, and you do have the key still right?" He asked.

She nodded and pulled it out of her pocket to show him.

"Anyways, I'll have him go get the cloak just in case you want it tomorrow." Harry said knowing tomorrow would be a very hard day for her, especially if the episode tonight was anything to go by.

"And you need a change of clothes and your toiletry bag anyway."

And so he called the elf, and took care of some other matter before the two went to bed.

His heart ached for her having to go through so much, but he couldn't help but let the thought cross his mind that he fervently hoped that today had just been an exceptionally trying day and that she wasn't going into the extremely emotional teenage girl phase early.

Merlin forbid _that! _

_**Please Review**_

**_Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter_**

**_Guest 1—Yes, Ginny is starting to get quite a bit more independent, I'm not saying Chamber won't happen but I will say it will not happen immediately. Harry will find himself quite unexplainably angry at more then a few teen age boys in four or five story years. _**

**_Thanks for reviewing _**

**_Guest 2—I'm surprised by how many people have been so surprised—But I guess she is taking some rather dramatic steps out of her shell and will be forced to grow up very quickly now in the snake pit. _**

**_Thank you so much for reviewing _**


	11. Chapter 11

Already dressed and waiting to go down to breakfast, as it was still a little early yet, Ginny was clutching Harry's invisibility cloak to her as if her life depended on it.

Granted that in her eyes it did, she highly doubted that the uses Harry had in mind for it were hiding from the populace but that was exactly how she planned to use it.

She was already perfectly alert, her hair brushed and tied back, her teeth clean, her face washed and her shoes tied neatly with her book bag in hand although the sun was still not even fully up yet. It was still rather dark in the castle. She wasn't sure how early one could be out with out it being considered breaking curfew so she stayed put.

Harry was sound asleep, completely oblivious to her troubled mind.

While he let out the occasional snore, she sat there drumming her fingers on the strong cherry wood of his desk, reviewing her potions text since Harry had told her prematurely to receiving her timetable that she would have double potions, transfiguration, and double history of magic today.

She had never really understood why it was necessary to ever have double history of magic from what all of her siblings except Percy had told her.

Ginny actually found history quite interesting, and she had decided to use the time in class to either work on other assignments or study the subject independently with her texts, considering Professor Binns was rumored to be completely unmindful of what was happening in his class.

All of her brothers had been telling her the less incriminating stories from their school days lately, so despite her first year status, she was rather familiar with what to expect.

She had already been planning ahead on how to keep all of her class work swiftly under control, she doubted she would however live up to these plans. Ginny often found her self planning to accomplish many things and ending up completely disregarding her plots and procrastinating or not doing it if it wasn't really necessary. However, she did enjoy learning, and learning magic above all else, so she was determined to take that enjoyment and become a good student out of it, even if she never was a Hermione.

Honestly she doubted Hogwarts could take another one so that was fine with her.

She tapped her foot impatiently wishing it were six already so she would feel confident to leave for breakfast, she knew she would be hurting later tonight from her early rise, not enough contact for the bond, but at the moment she didn't care.

She looked around the room, some of her ridiculous drawings from when she had first met Harry adorned the wall beside where she sat in his chair at the desk. He must have brought them over from his apartment, although why he wanted them was beyond her.

One in particular caught her eye, it was a depiction of a quidditch game, poorly colored with stick figures, of her flying in what she had been envisioning as a future Hogwart's match. The drawing showed what she had meant to be her, a pole with an oval for a head and a patch of red hair flying on a broom in red and gold, beside her she had drawn a stick figure clad in green and silver falling from their broom. It was one of her meaner nine year old creations.

She stood and reached over to where it hung and quickly ripped it from the wall as the sticking charm wasn't one of the particularly strong ones.

Her mind was surprisingly blank while she did this, but she felt an unquenchable sense of frustration as she bunched it in her fist.

There was a buzzing in her ears and she felt as if all of the blood had rushed into her face as her nails dug into the parchment, quickly, frantically and completely crumpling, tearing and shredding it.

She picked up the pieces and threw them into the waste bin before resuming her seat on the desk chair.

Her tapping of her foot and drumming of her fingers had increased ten fold now with her agitation.

Finally deciding that curfew be damned, she had an invisibility cloak anyways, she left the room. Briefly she looked back and wondered if Harry would be worried but quickly decided he probably wouldn't even think too hard on it considering it was his first day of teaching and he had much more important matters to be pre-occupied with then her eleven year old problems.

Besides, the sun was beginning to peek through and she was sure that if it wasn't time yet for students to be allowed out, then it was close.

Deciding however to take no risks she draped the invisibility cloak over her and made her way down the hallway.

She never noticed the rather fat beetle that left the room with her as she opened the door.

She decided to first find her way to the great hall, which she managed without too much difficulty, and then go ahead and locate the potions class room as she already knew it was her first class.

By the time she had done this, it was still early, but well on the time for breakfast and as she made her way back to the great hall, which was sparsely populated with mostly Ravenclaws, she sat down and ate her breakfast quietly at the vacant Slytherin table.

McGonagall was at the head table reading through the prophet and sipping a goblet that was oddly steaming, Ginny wasn't sure what it was.

No other professor was there.

Eating a heaping breakfast, Ginny had never been one of those people who ate less when they were worried or depressed, in fact she had never understood how not eating helped someone settle emotions, so that morning despite her nervousness she ate her usual large breakfast. Ginny was sure this habit of never really being put off food would haunt her when she was older but at the moment with her scrawny eleven year old frame she couldn't bring herself to care.

Breakfast had always been her favorite meal despite the fact that she usually was not an early riser.

While she never had eaten less due to worrying, sleeping on the other hand was a different matter. This morning her early rise being a prime example, she never could sleep much when she wasn't at least somewhat at peace with however her life was going.

Feeling very full, and actually somewhat better spirited, Ginny pulled out her potions text.

Despite liking to learn, and enjoying reading, Ginny had never felt quite the same as Hermione in her desire to memorize every book.

Ginny had always done better and enjoyed practical experience much more.

But she had heard about Snape, and she wasn't going to take for granted that her Slytherin status would protect her, she knew she needed to be very familiar with the material before class lest she find herself in more trouble then she was already in.

She considered whether it would be worth asking for her time table ahead of time but decided against it when Snape descended upon the breakfast hall with, as customary, a very fowl expression on his face.

The hall was starting to fill up now as it was nearing eight o'clock.

Many of the Slytherin boys were eyeing her strangely from the other end as if she was an extinct species or something.

However surprisingly, Ginny swore she saw a few apologetic glances and smiles from both some of the boys and girls at her own table, although she lacked the courage to go investigate the intentions of these looks by striking any conversations.

Perhaps that was why she was sorted in this house in the first place, Ginny thought bitterly, not liking the idea of her being a coward. However much she bristled at the idea of being a coward, she balked more at the idea of surviving today without the cloak after her memory of 'Gwen' last night. She decided bravery would have to wait.

Snape picked then to begin handing out schedules, starting with the seventh year students who were mostly congregated around the opposite end of the table.

As he made his way down Ginny was certain he would humiliate her in some way, whether commenting on her family's status, or her ridiculously red shade of hair, she was even certain he would say something about her freckles.

She sat there worrying, picturing a hundred different scenarios that all ended with the entire house laughing at her. Her face was hidden behind her book although she wasn't really reading it, she wondered if he would mock her for trying to study her potions text before his class. She then winced when she wondered if he would suspect her prior knowledge of the schedule before receiving her time table, by that he would deduce that Harry had told her and then somehow figure out she had met him last night and then reveal their soul bond to the entire great hall!

Almost sweating she was so sick with nerves, Ginny sat, her hands clamping down on her text book so hard it was surprising there were no indents, as Professor Snape approached her with her time table.

Still looking down at some other paper, he held his hand out with the concerning item.

Looking around as if to make sure he was gesturing to her, as he certainly was considering she was sitting in somewhat of a self imposed isolation.

She timidly with a shaking hand reached out and slowly took her timetable from him, he released the paper to her and...

Walked away without sparing a glance at her.

Hand still in midair holding the timetable, Ginny watched him go slightly incredulously as a blush began to form on her cheeks.

Then before she could hold it in, she started to quietly giggle about her antics.

Perhaps, she thought, the entire populace was not entirely engrossed in the fact that she, Ginny Weasley, had been sorted into Slytherin.

And that thought brought a big smile to her face. She realized that her dramatic flair had really taken ahold of her, a school house was not really the end of the world she thought to herself.

Although some of her house mates were now sending her more questionable looks then normal at her laughter at apparently nothing other then their head of house giving her her schedule, which wasn't particularly amusing.

Her giggling continued for a few minutes after the Professor's leave.

And that was how the rumor that she had some strange infatuation with Severus Snape, and had asked the sorting hat to place her in Slytherin because she secretly was in love with him, began.

Foregoing the invisibility cloak since she really wasn't actually feeling the need for it as most were still at breakfast, Ginny made her way down to the dungeons.

She sat outside the door to the class for some time, she knew she really should continue reading ahead but couldn't really bring herself to find the motivation to do so. Instead she counted the stones in the wall, bored but not quite enough to delve back into her text book.

Finally the bell rand and she stood, brushing herself off and walked down the hall shortly to where the potions room was.

No one was in the class, not even Snape, and with the door hanging wide open Ginny felt quite foolish for sitting down the hall when she could have simply already found a seat and been waiting in the class room.

She stood there at the entrance for a moment debating where to sit.

Really trying to answer the question of whether she was more afraid of her head of house or her classmates...

If she sat in the front, she was more a target for the bat like professor, however if she sat in the back she was at the further mercy of her classmates.

Finally deciding to cut her losses with the front, as Snape was bound to certain rules as a teacher, and after all he hadn't even said anything this morning, she sat down.

As the class room began to fill, she noticed disappointedly that they were sharing this lesson with the Gryffindors.

She had hoped to avoid the particular house she had been _supposed_ to be in.

The room was almost full when the brunette haired girl who had harassed her slunk into the room.

Ginny looked around her before realizing with a small degree of horror that the only seat open was the one beside her.

She sat stock still praying for something to happen, but all that happened was for her harasser to slide into the seat beside her.

When she looked up she expected to find an ugly, vindictive look aimed at her but she noticed then that Gwen was looking away wiping her eyes as her face held obvious tear tracks. She seemed quite pre-occupied in her world enough not to pester Ginny.

"Wands away," an oily, and although quiet still very conversation shattering voice interrupted.

Ginny however was very thankful for an ending to awkward silence that had been permeating her table where she and Gwen sat.

Professor Snape walked down into the class room towards the black board, a very disgruntled expression on his face. Not for the first time Ginny questioned why exactly he seemed to want to teach when he was rumored to dislike his students so much.

"Today you will be learning about the subtle art that is potion brewing...seven years of arduous work in this field...considering you have a hint of talent for it unlike the usual idiots I teach...and you will but have breached the gateway of what _this_ magic can do."

He took a pause then looking around the room, very intently at the Gryffindors as if searching for something to find fault with them.

Although after all the stories Ginny had heard from her brothers she admitted she might be imagining this.

"Today, we will start simply." He said.

"I assume you have all read the first three chapters of your books—Bennet tell me what is the most common mistake in potion brewing?"

He asked a Gryffindor boy who vaguely resembled a dear in the head lights, Ginny vaguely remembered it being something about adding ingredients to early, or maybe putting too small or large of a quantity of an ingredient? She wasn't entirely sure, she could remember reading it but not exactly what it said.

After a moment silence Snape continued, the red face boy looking down pituflly at his text book.

"Tut, tut, five points from Gryffindor. You _will _be prepared in this class, or you _will _fail...I am not here for your comfort. I do not know or care what you are used to at home but expect to work in this class room."

And with that he flipped the board over so that it showed instructions written in a cramped, difficult to read style that Ginny had a heard time reading.

"Begin—the person beside you is your partner for the rest of the year—no complaints as that is final." He said taking a seat at his desk.

Ginny winced at she looked over at Gwen who had a somewhat bored, disgruntled, and very haughty expression. It seemed whatever had upset the ice queen earlier she had recovered from.

"Look," she began very flatly.

"For the sake of this class when we are here let's just work together and when the class is dismissed we go back to how it's meant to be with me _far _above you...are we clear?" She asked.

Ginny however was thankful enough for this truce and stiffly agreed, "That was what I had in mind."

A brief nod was all she got as Gwen began twirling a strand of her hair, "Go get the ingredients."

Ginny bristled but decided at this tentative stage in their 'partnership' that she best as well comply rather than cause a scene in her first potions class.

She returned and thankfully saw that Gwen had already begun warming the cauldron and preparing to make the potion.

Ginny spread the ingredients out and they began to work. Gwen often criticizing what she did which Ginny took in stride trying not to let it upset her as a fight would only worsen her day.

They were almost finished with the potion when Ginny began chopping the Lunel leaves shortly as prescribed by the board.

"That's not short enough..." Gwen drawled. Something snapped inside Ginny at this rather repeated rebuke.

She looked up rather irritated, "It is plenty short I've made this potion before with my mother, and before you start insulting her you best as well shut up as she is a rather good brewer." Ginny said vehemently.

Gwen looked quite a bit shocked by this outburst and put her hands on her hips as she turned to face Ginny.

She opened her mouth several times as if trying and failing to come up with a retort before settling with, "Perhaps if your family ever showed more aptitude besides living in a filthy hovel like the pigs you are then I wouldn't question your so-called brewing skills."

Ginny fumed, "Perhaps if you were not a little snobby pureblood brat who didn't—"

Ginny never realized how loud the tone of her voice was growing until she was interrupted.

"Ms. Weasley, Ms. Vanderbell—what are you doing?" Snape asked sharply.

The Gryffindors were all watching intently to see if he would actually punish Slytherin students while their fellow Slytherins were just watching for the show.

"Um..." Ginny trailed off her cheeks furiously red.

Snape stood there sneering, "Stay after class."

Gwen looked heavily triumphant until he added, "Both of you."

As he was walking away he added, "And Weasley—cut those Lunel leaves shorter."

Ginny honestly had never wanted to leave a room more.

She sat stiffly in her chair after class, Gwendolyn Vanderbell beside her shooting her more glares but she found she couldn't particularly summon the energy to care.

Snape turned towards them as the last student left the room, "You are in my own house and I expect far more disciplined behavior from my students. Do not act so foolishly again or the consequences will be _severe._"

Ginny idly wondered if he had ever considered the similarity in sound between the word severe and his own first name. She played with them in her head, _Severe Severus, Severus the severe. _

She vaguely wondered why when people gave lectures like this, her mind seemed to drift to the most random thoughts.

"As it is," he continued. "You will both serve detention with me, Friday night at seven sharp. Do not be late, if you are the consequence will be—"

Ginny knew she would inevitably start laughing if he said severe so she was actually quite thankful that he finished with, "Undesirable."

Gathering her bag Ginny quickly left the class room after that, she had a free period before lunch and afterwards just a single session of Transfiguration followed by a double session of History of magic.

She knew she needed to begin her essay due in potions but decided to let it rest for the moment, after all, she reminded herself, she could always do it during History.

Instead she decided to explore the castle some before lunch, she really was desperate to find out where the kitchens were so she could avoid meals when she wanted. It did grow awkward sitting there by herself at the Slytherin table during breakfast and she was already not looking forward to lunch, especially what she felt was an inevitable confrontation between she and Vanderbell after the detention episode.

She was unsure how she would survive the entire year as potion's partners with that girl, especially since that particular class required a great deal of partner work.

She was busy brooding over it when she realized that by aimlessly walking around she had now gotten herself entirely lost.

Turning back the direction she came Ginny came to a maze of several different corridors and found herself unable to remember which it was that she had come from.

Sighing frustratedly she decided to just begin walking.

This however led her to missing lunch due to her lost state and deciding to just give it up as a bad job try to find her transfiguration class.

Luckily she spotted Heather carrying a stack of essays heading down the corridor.

"Heather!" Ginny cried, relieved to see a friendly face she could easily ask for directions.

Heather stopped from where she had walked around the corner and looked up from her stack of essays, glasses slipping down her nose as she looked up to see who had addressed and a large smile breaking out onto her face as she recognized Ginny.

"You need glasses?" Ginny asked surprised.

"No, I just think they make me look more distinguished." Heather answered loftily.

Ginny raised an eyebrow, unsure of whether she was joking or not.

However the girl in question had already started down the hall again.

"Heather, wait up!" Ginny yelled again jogging to catch up.

"Can I help you Ms. Weasley?" the older girl asked somewhat cooly.

Ginny looked at her oddly and then her expression fell as she wondered if Heather was upset with her for being in Slytherin.

However her fears were quickly dispelled, "McGonagall said I have start being more professional in my dealings with students even though I am not nor ever plan on being a teacher. How do you think that was?" Heather asked with a wink.

"Um..." Ginny began but Heather, clearly in one of her moods where she could prattle on about herself regardless of the interest of the company continued.

"Hence the lenses, I think they give me a certain..._crisper_, more teacher like look, what do you think?" Heather asked.

Ginny was now beginning to realize that Heather may have been serious about her answer to the glasses.

"I think you're turning into a bit of a Lockhart with all this image worrying." Ginny said cheekily.

Heather mock glared, "Well if you must know, I actually do need these to read...don't tell Harry though I used to give him hell when he had his..." she trailed off.

"Harry had glasses?" Ginny asked, trying and failing to picture it.

Heather shrugged, "He was really a dorky little boy...don't let his polished up exterior fool you now, deep down he will always be awkward."

Ginny raised an eyebrow again as she personally found Harry to be frustratingly...cool. Almost like Bill in that respect.

Something she had always actually appreciated about Ron was his good hearted often bumbling nature.

It didn't make her feel quite so, she admitted to herself darkly, inferior.

Heather however remained oblivious to this inner turmoil as they walked down the hall before Ginny remembered the entire reason she had stopped her.

"Oh! Can you point me to transfiguration?" She asked anxiously knowing she needed to start heading there soon.

"We're walking there now," Heather said with a laugh.

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, "What are those you're carrying?"

"Just a bunch of seventh year essays, summer assignment. Ginny take my word for it and don't ever get a mastery in anything, you really just become a glorified tea procurer for strict scottish women."

"Procurer?" Ginny asked.

"Well I could have said getter but I'm trying to be more professional remember?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and they shortly arrived at the transfiguration class room, McGonagall was not there when they walked in but soon the bell rang and the class began to fill up.

Ginny sat in the front, near the corner where Heather's small desk was off to the side.

Soon, far too soon, Vanderbell and her two followers entered the room.

"I believe these seats are reserved," Vanderbell said on seeing Ginny in the front row, "Move Weasley."

Ginny however looked up tiredly but before she could say anything Heather cut in.

"Now _dears_," she began patronizingly, slowly making a show of cleaning her glasses on her shirt before carefully placing them back on.

She placed a hand on Vanderbell's shoulder which the young girl looked at bewilderedly, "There are other seats reserved for you, the headmaster knew how important the three of you are and it is already taken care of." Heather said gravely, ignoring the questioning look she was getting from Ginny.

"Really?" The white-blonde haired girl asked stupidly.

"Of course!" Heather exclaimed, startling Vanderbell with her loudness as she jumped back.

"Why in Merlins, large, protruding—" a cough interrupted the next word.

"—Would you think any differently! Of course there's seats for you, why just remind me of your names again and I will get those right out!" Heather said.

Looking around questioningly none of the three girls answered her, however the honey blonde that had sat next to Ginny without her notice did.

"Gwendolyn Vanderbell, Alexander Worchester and Ella White," she supplied with a smile.

"Perfect, thank you good madam, now you three..." Heather turned back to them with her false cheery voice dropping quite dramatically.

"The only place we reserve seats around here is detention, so I suggest you stop harassing your classmates unless you want me to harass you. Although...I'm sure there are some seats in hell with your names on them in big letters so if you would like me to escort you there..." And then Ginny knew that Harry must have relayed what she had told him to Heather, and Heather knew exactly what these girls had done the previous night.

Unfortunately Professor McGonagall chose that moment to walk into the room.

"Ms. Potter! We do not speak to students that way!" She said with an outraged expression.

Vanderbell and the others had already assumed expressions of utmost innocence.

"Eleven year old girls, just what are you thinking?" She asked sharply.

"Well in my experience—"

Heather was however immediately interrupted, "I just spoke to you about being more professional."

At that Heather started gesturing to her glasses with earned many puzzled looks from the many on lookers and McGonagall herself.

"Is there some sort of insect or...something a matter?" McGonagall asked concerned as Heather was still waving her hand about in gesture to her glasses.

Taking a dramatic sigh, Heather let her hand drop, "Clearly my distinguished professionalism is doomed to go unnoticed."

She again made a show of re-adjusting her glasses on her nose.

"Sit down Ms. Potter." McGonagall said flatly, clearly unamused.

Ginny often found Heather more silly then really humorous but all the same it still her a little smile, especially when she watched the other three girls meekly sit quite a ways behind her and caught the wink her almost sister sent her way.

The lesson went by quickly, with Ginny having already practiced many times the task of match to needle, being the first to succeed.

However the felt somewhat guilty at the praised she received when she remembered that she actual first time she had done this had taken quite a while and even longer to get the real, perfect needle she had sitting on her desk now.

But she couldn't exactly tell everyone that her soul bonded...whatever he was, had disregarded the statue of underage wizardry to teach her a lot of first year spells.

Besides it wasn't so bad being considered bright even if it was by a little bit of cheating, Ginny thought.

When the class dismissed Ginny had wanted to ask Heather if she knew anything about what they were doing as far as sleeping arrangements but the other girl had already been sent off on some errand by McGonagall.

So she instead trudged to History of magic, where she planned to finish her transfiguration and potions assignments.

When she left the room she was surprised to see the tall blonde girl from her house who had volunteered the names to Heather, standing outside the door when she left.

"Helen Gibbs." The girl introduced herself before Ginny could even really process she was there.

"Um—Ginny...Weasley." Ginny said slowly, awkwardly, wondering why this girl was speaking to her.

"Yes, so I've heard." Helen said somewhat with a drawling tone that reminded her of Draco Malfoy.

"So history of magic?" Helen asked.

Ginny looked at her quizzically before realizing with no small amount of embarrassment that she was waiting for her so they could walk to history of magic.

Walking it was a very tense silence, at least for Ginny until Helen interrupted it.

"You know Weasley...not everyone in Slytherin is like Vanderbell and her little minions. Don't isolate yourself, there are plenty of perfectly respectable people in snake pit. It really is not the worst place to be." Helen said and with that they had arrived at History of magic, where despite promising herself she would Ginny failed to either complete her essays or listen to the lecture as she thought about what Helen said.

**Please Review**

**Authors note—there have been some concerning questions I have received in reviews, so just to clarify and be sure that we are on all the same page**

**Yes, this is most definitely a Harry/Ginny story. But has I said in the beginning, there won't be any physical, romantic relationship until Ginny is an adult, because at eleven and twenty one it would be disturbing for any of that. **

**Tom Riddle's diary will be in this story, and that is all I will say on that. The rest you simply have to wait and see. **

**Ginny will not be a whore because she in Slytherin, that is just an insult that Vanderbell was throwing around. It does not imply or foreshadow that Ginny will be a slag, or that Slytherin house is full of slags. **

**I will try to respond to individual reviews soon to answer more specific questions but unfortunately I lack the time right now, still thank you to everyone who reviewed and please keep it up**


	12. Chapter 12

Ginny walked down the empty corridor back to her dormitory during dinner that night, having decided that she was not in the particular mood to attend. A decision she was heavily regretting since after lunch she was absolutely starving.

She had been to the owlery where she borrowed Hedwig to send a letter to the twins pleading with them to tell her where the kitchens were.

However despite her hunger, Ginny had no desire to go to the great hall.

She was very much hoping that Harry would notice her absence and perhaps bring her some food that night, but she also highly doubted that would happen.

She wasn't that noticeable.

_Except for the tomato red hair._

She thought with a scowl, she had managed to finish her potions essay, but seeing as it was not due until Wednesday she decided to postpone her transfiguration work.

She knew this wasn't smart seeing as she had time tonight, but at the moment she didn't care and the last activity on her mind was doing a tedious, complicated and long essay.

She didn't understand why all homework at Hogwarts seemed to consist of essays.

She was almost back to the common room when she heard a loud wailing in the corridor down to the left.

It was a very ungraceful and somewhat pathetic sound, very unlike the brief tears and small, light sniffles that girls seemed to always sport in the movies.

This was a gasping, body wracking, screaming cry that someone down that corridor to the left was having, and by the sounds of it quite violently.

Ginny stood at the entrance to the hall for quite a while debating, in the end it was more her curiosity then her compassion that prompted her detour.

She listened as she walked, and with the volume of the crying, it was not hard to find the place it was coming from.

A small broom cupboard down the hall. She stood there staring at the wooden door wondering whether she should open it.

It would be very awkward she thought.

_Especially if its a boy..._

The image of that actually brought a wry grin of amusement to her face, but she knew that these sobs were too...something...to be a boy's. There was some quality which she could not name about them that made Ginny very certain that whoever was crying in the closet, was female.

Her hand reached out to the door knob and rested on the brass there.

She wondered, if she were in a broom cupboard sobbing quite hysterically, would she want a complete stranger to disturb her?

_No, I wouldn't..._

Ginny knew that if she were in the situation she would find it embarrassing, she would not want a classmate to see her in such a state, especially one she didn't know.

The crying was starting to quiet now, and Ginny heard a shuffling that sounded like the occupant was getting ready to leave, so decision made, Ginny quickly left the cupboard to return to the hall she had been walking down.

Returning to her dormitory she was still wondering about the wails from the hallway closet.

Her curiosity had always gotten the better of her.

The common room was empty, as thankfully were the dorms.

Helen Gibbs had given her a lot to think about, and she wasn't in the mood to see her again until she had had some more time to figure out for herself how she felt about everything. The idea of seeing Worchester, White, or Merlin forbid—Vanderbell, were not appealing thoughts either.

She grabbed the supplies she would need, and the changes of clothing, and stuffed them into her bag.

She was still wondering about the sleeping arrangements but trusted that Harry would take care of it.

Or at least she desperately hoped that he realized that she could not continue to leave her full dorm every night without stirring suspicions.

Especially with room mates like Vanderbell who she was absolutely sure would not be willing to turn a blind eye.

She debated going back already to Harry's room.

It was rather early, but then again it would be easier to navigate the hallways with the invisibility cloak.

And dinner, which would end in an hour, would leave the hallways very congested it she waited. She also had no desire to see anyone from her house which the likelihood of was very great considering she was in the Slytherin common room.

She made the lengthly walk to the portrait his room was behind, and after checking the hallways to ensure her privacy from curious eyes, she mumbled the password and quickly made her way inside.

She read through_ Standard book of Spells Grade One _as she sat there, since she still wasn't in any mood to attempt her transfiguration homework, trying random spells as she went.

She didn't have much success, and felt quite a bit disheartened as she slumped back in her chair, then again she had been trying the spells from the end of the year curriculum.

Her half transfigured quill sat disfigured in front of her as she slouched lowly in the desk chair.

She heard the opening of the portrait hole that led into the room and looked up, relieved to see it was only Harry and somewhat annoyed at herself for worrying it would actually be anyone else seeing as this was his room.

When she saw that he was carrying a plate of dinner, a huge smile grew on her face.

Harry came and conjuring a chair, sat on the other side of the desk from her and set the plate down...in front of him.

He began to pick up the fork and the bite was almost in his mouth when he started laughing.

"You should have seen the look you were just giving me," he said as he pushed the plate towards Ginny, setting the fork down.

"If I didn't already know you weren't at dinner that glare would have told me."

Ginny however was too busy eating hungrily to pay attention to the second comment, she was famished from missing lunch.

Harry realizing conversation was pointless until she was done, began reading through some of the essays he that had been turned in from summer assignments.

Ginny, contentedly drinking her water, was in much better spirits on a full stomach.

Until Harry mentioned the word 'detention' which brought a dark look to her face as she launched into the tale.

"What are we going to do about...sleeping arrangements? My dorm mates are going to notice if I'm gone every single night, they aren't _that _dull." Ginny asked.

Harry however raised an eyebrow at her comment but let it go, "Unfortunately the head girl is a Slytherin this year, so that room is being used. The story we are going to tell is still the 'illness' you have. We are going to say that you are staying with the head girl because she can monitor you that way at night incase you have some kind of major fit from your mythical illness. The head girl has taken a vow to stay silent about you leaving every night. We just told her that your were sick and you didn't want the other students to realize just how sick you were. And that you are spending every night receiving treatment in the hospital wing. The head dorm connects through a passage way that not many know about to another room. I'm moving into the other room."

Ginny just nodded, and they didn't talk very much for the rest of the night except about trivial things. He didn't ask her about her detention, or why she sat completely alone at breakfast, or why she missed lunch and dinner.

When they were laying in bed he surprised her however by asking her a question, she had thought he was asleep.

"I heard something...really strange and..._unbelievable_ today."

"What?" Ginny asked, looking at him strangely although he couldn't see it in the dark. Harry was a very blunt person normally, and his vagueness hinted to her that this was something he found uncomfortable to ask.

"It was about you...and Snape."

"Me and Snape?" Ginny's voice came out louder and sharper then she intended.

Harry sounded very uncomfortable, "Well...you see...the thing is...It's Snape and _I _by the way, Snape and me is wro—"

Ginny was beginning to get impatient with his explanation and sensing this he hastened on.

"I heard a fourth year today telling one of her friends that when he gave you your timetable that you...you winked at each other and then you started laughing..."

He trailed off.

"Winked at each other? _Snape_? And me? What?"

Harry said nothing but a mumbled grammatical correction, "Snape and _I..._"

"Well that's just—stupid! He gave me my times-table and...I did laugh but it really wasn't about him...I was just laughing at something I thought to myself! Why would people think that!" She finished vehemently.

"Well that's...good, really good. Snape is an...it's good that...I'm glad there was no kind of strange...occurrences in your...student—teacher relationship." Harry said stumbling, something uncharacteristic of him since his teenage years.

"Yes, because _our _student teacher relationship is so completely normal." Ginny said wryly.

"Well..."

The next morning at breakfast Ginny tiptoed into the Great Hall and looked around cautiously.

She hadn't been up near as early this morning as the last and there were already quite a few student in the Great Hall, sadly many of them were Slytherins.

She sighed, her back against the wall beside the entrance for a moment.

She peeked around the corner again, but this time she was caught by a pair of eyes at the Slytherin table.

Unfortunately those eyes belonged to Helen Gibbs who in a Hufflepuff like manner waived enthusiastically at Ginny and beckoned her to come sit with her.

Ginny looked over her shoulder hoping she was gesturing to someone else, but no such luck, she had invited Ginny Weasley to come sit with her and her Slytherin friends.

Turning back so her back was against the wall she stood there a moment longer.

"You look like a fish."

Ginny looked over incredulously at the familiar voice that had broken her thoughts.

"A fish?"

"A fish." Heather nodded.

"A _fish? _How do I look like a _fish_?

"I just said the first thing that came to mind." Heather shrugged before going on in the Great Hall.

"How much fire whiskey did you drink last night?" Ginny called after her but got no response.

Going into the Great Hall, Ginny let out a dramatic sigh upon seeing that Helen was still looking at her expectantly.

Reluctantly making her way over, she gingerly sat down next to the blonde.

"Ginevra—"

"Just Ginny." She interrupted quietly.

Helen looked all the more happy at this, as if her correction was some sign of approval.

"Ginny, this is Sylvia Quinn—" She pointed toward the girl who always seemed to have an indifferent look on her face. Her stringy brown hair tied back into a bun and her dark eyes locked onto a book. She didn't look up as the introduction happened.

Helen however went on clearly unperturbed by Sylvia's lack of enthusiasm.

"And this is Susan O'Reilly." The auburn haired girl cast a timid but friendly glance in Ginny's diction.

The girl was beautiful and she made Ginny self-conscious to sit beside. Her hair, unlike Ginny's tomato red, was a deep auburn that made a unique maroon color, and her eyes, unlike Ginny's own plain brown were pale blue, and her skin, unlike Ginny's own was completely clear and as smooth as marble. She had a straight, small nose, and eyes just slightly too large for a normal human face but that just made her all the better looking. Her hair was full and shiny and slightly curled.

Ginny cast a glance at her own straight, stringy red hair. She supposed that at least she too had a straight, decently sized nose, if only it weren't coated in freckles.

Either way, she felt very inferior when sitting beside Susan O'Rielly and she wondered why the girl was so timid with looks like those.

Whatever shyness was in Susan, was clearly lacking in Helen who was proving to be the most boisterous, outgoing girl Ginny had met.

Heather was normally colder to strangers, being very much loyal to the people she loved and nastily spiteful to outsiders at times, she jealously guarded those she cared about. Hermione had a shyness about meeting new people that had never left her since school. Ginny's own mother, Molly was just paranoid that someone would attack them making her more guarded around unfamiliar faces.

So Helen's all including warm nature was a bit strange for her.

Ginny ate her normal large breakfast and listened to Helen chatter, well mostly to herself although she seemed under the illusion that the other girls were in a conversation with her.

Ginny walked with the four to Herbology, and to Charms and then at the end of the day to the library and to astronomy that night.

And although she certainly didn't feel comfortable or say anything to them except the occasional nod when Helen tried to get her to speak, she would come to realize that that was a good day.

A day where she had found a few friends.

**Please review. **


	13. Chapter 13

"She looks like she's been crying again..." Helen noted, looking over at Gwendolyn Vanderbell who indeed, looked terrible. A far cry from the girl who just three days ago was sorted with such glossy hair and impeccable confidence.

Ginny glanced up from her usual large breakfast and had to agree, Vanderbell looked bad.

She however didn't say as much to Helen but as usual the blonde needed no prompting or signs of listening to go on.

"She really is falling apart." She commented.

Sylvia who rarely talked piped up with one of her dry, derogatory comments that she did make when the occasion came. "Well, that's hardly a wonder now is it?" She barely even glanced up from the page of whatever thick book she was in the process of reading as she spoke.

"True." Helen said, a small amount of sadness in her voice.

Susan looked curious but as usual was too shy to really say anything.

Ginny however, wanted to know and was not above prying into other's business when she was curious.

"Why?" She asked Helen, gesturing towards Vanderbell.

Helen understood what she meant from the one word question and looked around before answering. She actually seemed rather happy that someone was finally really speaking with her instead of her usual monologues where she attempted to include the others who all, in varying degrees of politeness, never really responded.

However Helen was beaten to it by Sylvia. "How do you not know!"

Her voice was a little too loud and she cringed and quickly scrunched down lower in her seat, only continuing when she was sure no one noticed or cared.

"Weasley, I know you're new here and all—"

_We're first years, we're all new here nitwit._

However Sylvia couldn't hear Ginny's inner criticizing thoughts and probably would have gone on even if she had.

"—but you are in Slytherin now. And here in Slytherin it is part of your...role...niche...whatever you want to call it—to _know._"

"Know what?" Ginny retorted hotly, she hated the condescending tone in Sylvia's voice when she spoke.

Sylvia had an exasperated expression on her face that clearly said she thought this should be obvious.

Helen however decided to intervene, "Vanderbell, well her parents anyway, want her to enter a betrothal contract to Marcus Flint. There were negotiations a few years ago but nothing really...concrete. Vanderbell though, Gwendolyn Vanderbell that is, however wants nothing to do with Flint."

"Can't really blame her there—he's not exactly attractive is her?" Ginny said having seen the older boy in Diagon alley a few times.

This thought made her stop however, "Wait—Isn't flint like twenty...something."

"Twenty four." Helen nodded grimly.

"Not too bright either." Sylvia added.

"Then why—"

Sylvia cut her off again however, "Okay, Weasley you clearly need a mentor. And since bubbles over there—" She nodded toward Helen who looked mildly affronted but mostly amused, "—isn't up to the task. I suppose I can volunteer some time."

"Now just wait—"

Ginny was interrupted again, "For your first lesson...what makes the world turn, the Slytherin world even more so?" And Gibbs if you say 'love' even as a joke I will never sit in any close proximity to you again."

Helen rolled her eyes and replied in a muttered manner, "Just 'cause my Mums a Puff doesn't mean I'm all sunshine and daisies Quinn."

"You Mum is a Huffle—"

"The matter at hand Weasley?" Sylvia redirected sharply.

Ginny glared at her for a moment but then sat and thought about her question.

What was most important to Slytherins? Well they were ambitious, they wanted recognition, they wanted, "Power." She said aloud.

"Wrong. Close; better answer than what I would've guessed from you, but still not exactly on the _money_."

She looked at Sylvia skeptically, "Money?"

Sylvia looked impatient again, "Money, power, influence, prestige, recognition it's all interlocked. But it all starts with money. Look at the most important Slytherin families, rolling in their gallons!"

"That's because important influential people tend to make a lot of money." Ginny pointed out.

"You have it backwards, a lot of money tends to make important influential powerful people, as goes the money goes the power. Look at the Windum family..."

"Who?" Helen asked.

"Exactly. They lost their wealth over a few weak generations back in the sixteen hundred and now no one even remembers their name even though for centuries they were just as powerful if not more than the Malfoy family in Slytherin house." Sylvia said seriously.

"How do you even know all this?" Ginny asked.

"It is my job to _know._" She replied.

"Now you're just being annoying." Helen muttered.

Ginny however was thinking about what she said, and found one major flaw in it.

"But what about Voldemort?" She asked.

Helen flinched and nearly sent her cup of pumpkin juice flying and Sylvia dropped her book which hit her on the toe causing her to hiss in pain.

"Are you crazy? Don't say that name!" Sylvia said. It seemed Susan who had been quietly sipping her morning cup was the only one not vastly affected by the mentioning, she seemed confused actually.

"Sorry." Ginny mumbled, cheeks flaming red. Still though, she persisted with her point, "But _You-Know-Who _wasn't rich at all. He had to use the student scholarship loan to even come to Hogwarts."

Sylvia looked suspicious of how she knew this but let it pass without comment.

"Well he was an anomaly though wasn't he?" Helen said.

Ginny gave her a look to go on, "He was the most powerful wizard of the age—"

"Dumbledore—" Ginny started but this time it was Sylvia again with the interruption.

"You can't deny that his power was abnormal. He was able to scare and intimidate others in a way that people just can't do...unless they are unique. Besides, even then it came back to money. He lured his followers in promising them a restored world, a world where all their riches and former glory would return to them, riches they thought stolen by the muggleborns."

"Rather than acknowledge their own stupidity that ruined their fortunes." Ginny said wryly.

Sylvia gave her a 'make what you will of it' look.

"All the blood hysteria is really about money. Most all of the old families invest in the Wizarding world and the muggle world. They don't care where the wealth comes from as long as it comes. They are perfectly happy to let Muggles make them money, what they don't want is to include them in this world. Muggleborns take jobs, and opportunities that were before dominated by the old families. And the more muggleborns the more our worlds become tied together, the more protection acts there are against all the ways the wizarding families often cheat on the stocks and other ventures by using their magic. The more our government get's taken out of the old families hands. You look at the Wizangamot now even is much more diluted from the old family power than it used to be. The more muggleborns the more their influence lessens."

Sylvia then picked her book back from the floor and went back to reading it.

"She should be a teacher—her class would be one of a kind. 'The twisted place that is a Slytherin mind.'" Ginny said in mock thoughtfulness.

"Oh but you're a Slytherin too now Weasley."

And that put a grimace on the red head's face as she sipped her pumpkin juice.

"Oh you scared Susan off with all of your blood talk." Helen commented.

Sylvia just shrugged.

"Susan is a muggleborn rights advocate?" Ginny asked.

"Well she better be...it would be rather hypocritical for her to be against them." Sylvia commented.

"Susan is a muggleborn." Helen whispered.

Ginny looked shocked, "I—how is that possible?"

"Happens more than you would think actually, makes you wonder what kind of conniving mind she's hiding under that sweet, innocent act she has." Sylvia interjected.

"Now you're just being paranoid Sylvie." Helen said with an eye-roll.

"Don't call me that." She replied tersely.

"Don't broadcast it though Ginny." Helen said again in a hushed tone.

"Oh no, I was going to get a neon sign that run around the school with it." Sarcasm leaked through the Wealsey's tone.

"Wouldn't make a difference, it's not like everyone doesn't know anyway."

"Oh stop being such a grouch Sylvia. And even if everyone does know it's best not to be brought up."

"What are you?" Ginny asked before she could stop herself and realize how tactless the question sounded.

Helen however didn't seem upset by the question, "Pure, but of the hufflepuff variety on my Mum's side, knocked my family down a few pegs actually. My Dad was supposed to mary one of the Blacks but he broke the contract, Grandparents nearly disowned him. Even now, twenty five years later, they're not pleased."

"That is a little extreme isn't it?" Ginny asked.

"It's Slytherin for you, everything is about advancing. Which brings us back full circle as to why Vanderbell is being forced to marry Flint unless she wants disownment."

"They're selling their daughter?" Ginny asked disgustedly.

"Well, not in those terms but...that is the gist of the transaction. The Vanderbells get some of the Flint money and prestige, and the Flints get a well bred, pureblooded girl to give them a grandson someday." Sylvia stated this in such a matter of fact manner as if it were perfectly normal for some one in the twenty first century to do. Which apparently for her, it was.

"A lot of families don't arrange anymore, just _encourage_." Helen added.

"That's still...disturbing." Ginny said after a long pause.

And at that moment Ginny didn't feel quite so sorry for herself, if you were going to be

forced to marry someone someday, Harry beat the bloody hell out of Marcus Flint.

"And Sylvia?" The brunette pushed her glasses back from where they had been falling to the tip of her nose as she looked up at Ginny.

"I still think you're obsessed with money."

"I'm just telling you the truth." Sylvia shrugged.

Ginny went on however, "Happiness is not something you get when you get rich, and it's not something you get because you're powerful, and it is what makes each person happy, and each person want to live that makes the world go round. Normally I think...I think it is some form of love that makes everything work in the end. Whether it's love for your kids, or your husband, wife, city, job, friends, brothers...whatever it is. It is some kind of love that makes everything work." Ginny said, breathless and surprised she had said so much. She had been planning just a short retort.

Sylvia rolled her eyes, "Or if you love money."

"You're hopeless." Ginny frowned at her.

"Well I liked it. Good speech Gin! Can I call you Gin?" Helen asked smiling her usual beaming grin that made you think she had just won the lottery. How she wasn't a Hufflepuff was anyone's guess.

"Um..yeah." Ginny answered. She supposed Harry had only ever really called her that but she was growing up now, and there were going to be new people in her life. And as she looked around she realized that that was okay.

That day in Potions when Vanderbell snapped at her Ginny held her tongue instead of arguing back she just nodded or didn't respond. Knowing now what she knew, she didn't find it hard to do so.

That afternoon she went to the library during her free period and was of course followed by her shadow, other wise known as Helen who drug with her Sylvia, who loved the library anyway but was constantly trying to break into the restricted section and then there was Susan who was simply fearful of being alone and there fore always tagged along.

Even while they sat there doing their essays Helen continued muttering about something trivial.

By the time she reached the topic of McGonagall's perpetual tight bun hair-do, Sylvia had had enough.

"Do you ever shut up?" Sylvia asked, sounding exasperated from over her book.

Helen looked annoyed but not hurt in the slightest, however apparently Susan not realizing this was usual banter between the two, sprung up in her defense.

"I like what she has to say." Susan said quietly.

And that was the end of it, Sylvia huffed and returned to reading her book. Helen smirked at the brunette looking triumphant before sending a kind smile toward Susan.

They were interrupted by the arrival of a boy with the Ravenclaw insignia on his robes proudly declaring his house.

He wasn't extremely tall but then again he was still young and his build showed the promise of future height.

He had dark, golden blonde hair a lot like Helen's and hazel eyes that the green shown clearly in as it swirled with the chocolate. He was undeniably good looking even if he wasn't mature yet, he would be heartbreaker someday, it was easy to see.

"Hello ladies," apparently he was aware of his looks too.

Helen looked over at him lazily, "Yes Greggers?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes at the nick name, "Just because my Mother mistakeningly—"

"You don't like Greggers? But it suits you so well." He just gave her a dry look. Susan was looking down bashfully and blushing, Sylvia seemed not to care with her trade mark indifferent look and Ginny was pretending to be seriously writing an essay but was actually listening to the conversation.

"It's Gregory Field...don't listen to anything she says." He pointed at Helen who just giggled.

"Whatever—" He said before going on. "I'm here anyway because of your sister is apparently too lazy to come get people on her own so she sends me to summon them for her. Being head girl has made her a right tyrant." He said shaking his head at Helen.

"Oh, Katherine is not so bad, really. Okay—she is. I'll admit, but it's better just to what she says and get it over with, I know from experience." Helen replied.

"Whatever—"

"Is your vocabulary that limited?" Helen asked again, she seemed to enjoy interrupting him.

He scowled, "Ginevra?" He asked this time looking at Ginny.

Startled he was referring to her she abruptly looked up at him, the rapidness of the movement hurting her neck.

"Yes?" She asked hesitantly.

"The head girl her in all her tyrannic glory—"

"Who talks like that?"

He ignored Helen, "Has sent me, just a humble squire, to accompany you to her evil lair so she can indoctrinate you in the ways of...well I don't know whatever it is that she wants to talk to you about."

He looked at Ginny expectantly who still was staring at him a little surprised by his speech.

"So move it!" He said cheerfully.

Snapping out of her haze she packed her things and they left the library.

"Where is she?" Ginny asked.

"She should be getting out of potions soon, she asked me to take you there and she'll meet you as soon as class dismisses." Gregory said, with a pleasant enough tone as they walked down to the dungeons.

"So...you're a Ravenclaw?" Ginny asked grappling for a conversation topic.

"No I just like to wear the Ravenclaw robes...I'm secretly a muggle, I broke into the castle last night and well Ravenclaw by far has the most girls so I figured why not blue and bronze? It bring out my natural highlights really well don't you think?" He asked holding up the patch on his robes to his lowered blonde head.

Ginny gave him a bewildered look, and upon seeing it he laughed.

"You really are gullible aren't you?" He shook his head.

She glared at him but he ignored it, "The Fields have been a Slytherin and Ravenclaw family for a long time. Tradition and all that jazz, my Mum was a Slytherin but Dad was a Ravenclaw like a lot of fields. You know that if a Field is a Slytherin they're supposed to marry a Ravenclaw and _visa versa_." He said with a smirk and a wink. He seemed much too young to be...flirting like that, and she knew she was too young. It was just awkward more than cute. She supposed those Gryffindor girls from the boat would like it but she didn't.

Ginny just laughed uncomfortably not knowing what else to do, "How old are you?" She asked.

"First year." He replied. He seemed more like a third year.

She nodded, a useless gesture but she hadn't had much practice talking to people outside of her family really.

"You and Helen know each other?"

"We grew up together, our fathers were good friends in school and our Mothers became close after they married. Mrs. Gibbs always said that it would be my Mum's influence that would put Helen in Slytherin," He said flashing that grin again.

"Hmm." Ginny said not really knowing what to say again.

They reached the Potions class room soon enough thankfully, and with a dramatic bow Gregory Field went on his way.

Ginny drummed her foot on the ground as she waited to Potions to dismiss.

Soon however people were swarming out of the door, the Gryffindors especially eager to get away before Snape could assign them detention.

Ginny had no idea what the head girl looked like though, she could only hope she would recognize her.

"Ginevra Weasley?" A sharp voice spoke from behind her, startling her as she had been looking at the last of the departing seventh years.

She spun around to see a tall girl with light brown hair and dark brown eyes. She did look a little like Helen.

"Katherine Gibbs." She said holding out her hand, her handshake was very firm.

Ginny still wasn't sure what to say, a state that seemed constant for her today.

She gave a weak smile and nodded again.

"How I understand it we are to be rooming this year together, your things have already been moved to my room and I thought, seeing as this was a free period for you, it would be prudent for me to take you to the room so you can familiarize yourself and we can discuss ground rules." She severely lacked the warm enthusiasm that her sister had. Katherine spoke in a stiff and formal manner, while not quite the pompous tone of Percy it just instead came across as very brisk; more so than even McGonagall. It was clear in her voice, strictly business. Ginny wondered if she spoke that way with everyone, the thought of her doing so, saying loving things to a boyfriend in that tone, made Ginny stifle a laugh.

Katherine however seemed completely unfazed by this if she noticed the grimace in Ginny's face as she held back her giggles.

"This way."

Ginny followed her down several corridors, they were already near the Slytherin Common room anyways having met outside the potion's class room, which made the walk short.

Inside the Slytherin common room in a far off corner that, like the rest of the room was dark and cold, there was an absolutely ordinary looking stone wall, but just like the entrance to the common room, with the right word it could be more.

"Francis." Katherine said, quietly and somberly, a depart from her previous authoritative and loud voice.

She didn't give Ginny a reason for it, and Ginny knew from her face that it was better not to ask.

They walked in to the room's own private siting room, which had a roaring fire in it with gold flames instead of the customary green, something which made Ginny like this place already.

The arm chairs were dark leather, and while it wasn't large it was far from cluttered and she immediately knew she would be spending far more time here than the common room.

Katherine led her through without a word to a large door at the end of the room, behind which was a very spacious bedroom with two chests of drawers and two beds on either end as well as two small desks.

It was a beautiful room, each desk had a mirror on it that would make for a perfect vanity in the morning. There were also two closets beside each bed, two night tables with two lamps. The room was perfectly symmetrical and the wall, which was a light creamy green, was a nice depart from the heavy, dark forrest tones of the girl's dormitories.

The bedspreads were a light, silver color that had a faint glimmer but not the overwhelming gaudy presence that metallic colors often had.

Ginny really liked it, she liked all of it.

There was another large door much like the one they had entered through in the corner of the room.

Katherine walked over to it and Ginny obediently followed her, through there was a bathroom, complete with both a shower and a tub.

The double sinks had cabinets beneath them and a long mirror in front of them, which Ginny though was pointless when they already had the mirrors on the desk.

It was a bright room, the same light green as the bedroom, and it was much nicer once again than the girl's dormitory.

"I use the bathroom every morning from six to six thirty, and at nights from nine to nine forty five. You can use it any other time than those that you wish, but you must keep it clean. Any of your things—" She walked over to the left hand sink and pulled out the drawer underneath it,—"Can go here, and you need to place them back here when you are finished using them." She walked back into the bed room then.

"This bed is yours, as is the closet beside it and the chest of drawers, your clothes need to either be in the closet or in the drawers. There is a laundry bin inside the closet. Any papers or unused book should be in the desk. As long as you keep your space neat and things put away, we should have no problems." Katherine finished, still not really looking at Ginny.

Ginny nodded, "I like to keep to myself...so be mindful of that." Katherine went on.

She led her over to a rather large stone on the wall beside Ginny's bed, "This is the passage that you can take at night to leave for the hospital wing. All you need to do is push firmly on it, like this." She demonstrated and the wall slide again open to reveal a dark, rather small passage.

When Katherine removed her hand it slowly slid shut.

They stood there a moment in unsure silence before Katherine spoke again, "Alright, well I will see you tonight then." And with that, probably the strangest girl Ginny had ever met turned and strode out of the room, not once looking back.

Ginny stood there somewhat dumbstruck by the entire encounter with possibly the most odd and anti-social person she had ever met, who was to be her only room mate for the rest of the year.

She let out a sigh, it was a beautiful room though.

She walked over to her closet to find all of her clothes neatly stacked inside, and likewise with her desk, courtesy, she knew, of the house elves. She moved some personal items into the bathroom cabinet that was hers.

She then sifted through her desk to see exactly how the house elves had organized it.

She found her Charms text book which she had been looking for the previous night, an a blank little black book she hadn't realized she had.

She considered throwing it away, but thought she might use it for spare parchment, or maybe even make a diary out of it.

Quickly it became time to leave for class.

**There have been a lot of concerns about the pace of this story, and I do apologize that it is moving so slowly but I think that if I tried to make if move faster, I would sacrifice a lot of the story. **

**Here however is the general timeline**

**There are five more chapters that will be during Ginny's first year**

**Then we will be skipping into Ginny's fourth year where there will be six chapters**

**Then the story will skip to when Ginny is seventeen which is where most of the story will take place. **

**I do promise however, that while there won't be any romance because she is still just eleven, that these next chapters will be much faster paced as now I have set the base that I wanted to build from. Also, while Harry isn't a huge factor in her first year, and while there won't be any real romance between the two, at least not for Harry, there will be a tremendous amount of interaction between the two of them when she is a fourth year. A lot of HG fluff, angst, and everything else is soon to come!**

**Thank you for your patience, and to all those that reviewed the last chapter and please review this one. **


	14. Chapter 14

Breakfast, as usual wasn't so bad an affair.

Especially now that Ginny could sit with Helen, Sylvia and Susan.

She was beginning to even look forward to meal times, and while it had only been days, she had already forgotten about the letter she sent to the twins pleading to know where the kitchens were when several owls bombarded her with mail, one carrying her twin brother's reply.

Smiling enthusiastically, Ginny tore the envelope open.

_Dear Gin-gin,_

She smiled ruefully.

_We received your letter, well obviously otherwise we the successful business men/inventors/male models wouldn't be writing now, would we?_

She snorted.

_Hoping to avoid the other snakes are we? You really should give it a chance._

She had already realized they were right, but still it surprised her they would say so.

_I dated a Slytherin girl my sixth year of school, she was nice. I really liked her._

George's handwriting.

_And let's face it, now you can become a spy for the Gryffindor quidditch team._

Fred's handwriting.

_Still, if you really want to know..._

She was still very interested in finding out.

_You'll just have to discover for yourself._

She sighed, disappointed.

_But..._

She perked up.

_We have something that might help._

She looked at the blank, and rather old looking, piece of parchment they had sent her and raised her eyebrows.

_Appearances are not always what they seem...whatever you do don't throw it away! Owe our school careers to that parchment we do._

_Let your scales show,_

_Fred and George._

Setting the letter aside she picked up the parchment and stared at it curiously before safely tucking it away in her robes. She wondered if it was just a prank, send her an ordinary piece of parchment and try to make her work out a puzzle that wasn't there. That would be their style.

Still, for now it wouldn't hurt to keep it.

She moved on to the next letter, from her parents.

_Ginny-love,_

_We are so proud..._

All of her brothers expressed the same sentiment or at least one of acceptance.

She smiled the rest of breakfast.

History of magic was boring as usual, and it was the first class that morning. Determined not to fall asleep but seeing that nothing was to be gained by paying attention to the lecture, Ginny decided to write in the book she had found in her room the previous night.

She had always wanted a diary, and her first year was something she wanted to remember. According to her mother, every year at Hogwarts was a milestone, and so, she decided, she wanted to remember every thing, something to look back upon someday.

She opened the book pretending to take notes; dipped her quill in the ink bottle, hesitated for a moment before placing it on the page as she wrote…

_My name is Ginny Weasley, or Ginevra actually but I hate my full name._

_My entire family has been in Gryffindor, all six brothers and my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I am in Slytherin though._

_When I was sorted into the Slytherin house, I thought my family would hate me. All Ron ever did was come hope and tell me how evil and horrible they all were. My first thoughts were of how afraid I was that everyone would hate me. Well not exactly, I asked to be in Slytherin. I wanted to be there, I wanted to show my parents I wasn't some dumb little girl who would just always go along with everything. They always hid everything from me, they always felt I was too delicate, too small, so I actually wanted them to be mad at me. But as I was walking down to the Slytherin table I began to wonder what I really wanted. _

_Did I really want this house that seemed to hate me already? Or for my family to hate me? _

_This morning though I got everyone's letters, they're not even mad. _

_Mum and Dad even said they were proud of me for being sorted into a house that prides itself for cleverness and 'big dreams' which is probably their nice way of saying 'ambition'. The word ambition has always seemed a little cold, a little cut throat. But I suppose that is the house I'm in._

_It's actually alright, I've met three girls who I think, given time I could be good friends with._

She stopped to think about what she wanted to write, twirling her quill in her fingers absent minded as she looked in front of her, staring at nothing, her mind was elsewhere.

When she looked back down at the page, she received quite a shock. Her writing shone momentarily before vanishing without a trace. As she continued to stare at the little book however ink began oozing out of the page, in the very ink she had just inscribed her own words, came words she had never written.

**What are your friend's names? I'm a Slytherin myself, my name is Tom Riddle.**

Ginny abruptly slammed the book shut, earning several suspicious glances from around her and glares from the Ravenclaws who were actually listening to the lesson. Binns as usual, remained oblivious.

Her mother had once told her never to trust anything that thinks for itself, if she couldn't see where it kept it's brain. She had only been five and scared into insomnia by a crystal ball that supposedly told one's fortune, it had told her that she would be eaten at night by boggarts. Of course, it turned out that it was just a prank by the twins, intended for Ron and to say embarrassing innuendoes, but instead it gave their youngest sibling nightmares.

She had always remembered that. Her mother had told her not to place any value and on an object's words if she didn't know where they were coming from, she had also told her that while the ball had been harmless, things of that nature could be dangerous sometimes.

Dangerous...the idea of her own private friend to confide in sounded enticing, but even the cover of the book was black. A dark color, an evil color.

Then again Ginny chided herself, there was probably nothing wrong with the book. She wondered if she was just being paranoid, still she decided to show it to Harry that night.

Putting it away for the time being, she instead pulled out her potion's essay.

She had double defense against the Dark Arts next, a class she and all the first years were looking forward to. She especially since it was taught by Harry and Sirius.

As always, History of magic passed slowly.

"Move!"

The Hogwarts hallways were not a friendly place, and moody fifth years who were discovering O.W.L's always made them worse.

However with minimal jostling Ginny was able to fight her way through the crowd towards the Defense classroom with Helen, Sylvia and Susan joining her to make a human chain. They were sharing class with the Gryffindors today, and Ginny couldn't help but remember those girls from the boat ride on her first night at Hogwarts, especially the ones who were sorted into the red and gold house.

Thinking about them left a sour taste and brought up a frustrating sense of unidentifiable anger.

She arrived at Defense flushed, and irritable, glaring at an unsuspecting Susan who looked away from the gaze, before Ginny realized what she was doing and softened.

They found their seats.

"Welcome to Defensive magic," Sirius announced, the name had been changed when he took up the post. Defense Against the Dark Arts was a cursed course that could not hold a teacher for more than a year, whereas Defensive magic had no such problems and this was Sirius's third consecutive year.

It was Hermione who came up with the ingenious solution; the headmaster had even claimed to be embarrassed for not having thought of it himself.

Most people however still referred to it as Defense Against the Dark Arts unofficially out of habit.

There was a certain silence that followed Sirius's arrival.

Ginny supposed they didn't know him like she did, having seen him with butterflies painted on both cheeks and painted eye make-up befitting of a girl, at her insistence at a muggle carnival, she found him hard to be intimidating. She supposed others didn't have that luxury.

"I am Professor Black, I served in the Auror department for six years, and I fought in the war against Voldemort." There were a lot of gasps at his name dropping.

"I am here to teach you to defend yourselves. I know that right now things are peaceful in Britain, but that may not be the case always and you never know, your very life might depend on what you learn in this class room." Sirius said gravely.

"Assisting me is Harry Potter, you will refer to him as Mr. Potter," he continued in a lighter tone.

Those ridiculous Gryffindor girls started giggling and Ginny briefly debated turning in her seat to glare at them, she was feeling particularly possessive as Harry stood and gave an awkward wave to the class. He stepped back into the shadowy corner he had been standing in. Twenty one and still uncomfortable with crowds.

Sirius kept speaking, "This year we will be hoping for all of you to master, in terms of spells that is, The Disarming hex, the Jelly Legs Jinx, the Body Bind Curse, and a minor variation of a Stinging hex. These will be the offensive spells I want all of you to make your goal to master by the end of the year."

Some students looked around nervously; clearly some of them considered it to be a tall order, Ginny however knew it was only the beginning.

"That is what we will be learning in terms of offensive spells." He smiled at some of the shocked looks and as one of Ginny's own house-mate's muttered, "There's more?"

"Unfortunately most defensive spells are more advanced and require a magical core and familiarity with magic that you won't be able to develop in your first year. We will try to start working on shield charms by the end of the year, however I don't expect you to conjure perfect shields, if anyone of you even manages to conjure a weak one and hold it for a second, I'll be exuberant. You will however be expected to perform the counter curses to the offensive spells you are learning by the end of the year, that is, removing a body bind, counter spell for jelly legs and a numbing spell for the stinging." He said.

"We would also be focusing on learning primary first aid, for starters a few minor healing spells that can basically heal paper cuts. I know, it's not helpful at all in a real battle, but your magic won't be able to handle anything more advanced. Learning these simple spells won't help you if you ever find yourself the center player in the epic battle between good and evil—" He laughed and the class joined him, all listening intently.

"—What they will do is prepare you for casting advanced healing spells as your magic grows, spells that can actually help you in real battles. By learning these simple spells, the more advanced ones will come much more easily in the future than if you just tried learning them alone.

You will learn two different healing spells for small cuts, one more powerful than the other and a basic numbing spell, should you ever find yourself needing to overcome a minor pain—or to take away a minor stinging hex like I mentioned earlier.

First year defense is all about establishing a good base so that when you have the control when your older, you're ready to really learn to fight."

A lot people were taking notes of his lecture, having realized that it was the class syllabus and not just an introduction.

Ginny didn't bother figuring that she would remember it anyway.

"The very first spell that we will be learning in this class is how to project sparks, sparks can serve as a call for help, it's something that comes in handy when you are injured or need to be located. However before we start the spell work, and I do sincerely apologize for this but it is necessary—we will be spending a month learning the law."

There was discontented muttering at this.

"You need to know, beyond a doubt when you are allowed to defend yourself and to what extent. Some of you—" Here he stole a glance at the Slytherins.

"—Are very aware of the ancient ways, a lot of you are not. So aside from learning the modern laws we will also learn the ancient customs of the old families, which if invoked are very powerful even today and not something that you want to be ignorant of." Sirius said solemnly.

"After our month spent learning about the laws and conditions of dueling and pure self defense in case of an attack, we will then spend two weeks discussing famous duels, watching memories of some and talking about tactics.

Should you ever find yourself in a duel, which you will in this class, you will find that much of it depends on strategy. We will learn and discuss it before we start training on evasive maneuvers. As you are only first years and are not able to produce strong shields, it is imperative to learn how to _dodge."_

The room was still hanging on to his every word.

"Also, should you ever, and I hope none of you do, encounter an unforgivable curse, which as you already might know, cannot be deflected, There's only one defense, MOVE!"

His shout made several people jump, except for Ginny who had been expecting something like that.

"We will be working on footwork and dueling maneuvering, that almost rhymed! Well sort of, anyways after that we will then progress towards spell work. I know what many of you are thinking, two months without spell work? That ridiculous, that's almost the whole term, I know.

But one of the difficulties of Defense is that it doesn't have the basic spells as simple as say Charms does. The first spell you learn in Charms, the levitating spell, takes less power and less control than it takes for the disarming hex. I don't mean to undermine charms, it is a very difficult and amazing branch of magic, but it has a simpler base than that of Defense.

Which is why I am giving you two months to familiarize yourself with your wand in your other classes and learn how to control your core while exercising it a bit, instead of me frustrating you for two months trying to make you learn the disarming charm when you aren't quite ready when we can wait a couple of months and have you learn it tremendously easier while we learn other things instead of wasting our time."

He looked around the room for any dissent.

"And now," he said with a grin, "for the lesson."

"Can anyone tell me what the unforgivable curses are? I saw a couple of confused faces when I mentioned them earlier. Ah yes, Mr. Walker."

The lesson went by smoothly. Sirius briefly explained each unforgivable curse, its effects and the punishment faced for using it in Britain and neighboring countries.

He then went on to the many methods of magical investigation, how criminals were caught and tried.

For homework they had to read the first chapter of their text book which was about the basic methods used to find the culprit of a crime and the due process and methods of interrogation, they then had to write an essay about each tactic they read and their opinion of it.

It was a long homework assignment, but it wasn't due until the following Monday and Sirius promised that they wouldn't be assigned any more home work for the rest of the week.

She liked Defense so far.

That afternoon after classes, she saw none other than Gregory Field walking out to the Quidditch pitch with two of his friends.

"My future wife!" He yelled out jokingly in greeting, apparently he hadn't forgotten their last conversation about how Ravenclaw Fields always marry Slytherin girls.

She blushed, embarrassed and hoped his two friends wouldn't spread that around. She knew he was just joking but after that wild rumor involving Snape she had become paranoid.

Gregory Field was just simply a more rowdy version of Helen, both overfilled with friendliness.

She gave him a small smile, and he in return gave her his signature, exuberantly beaming grin that stretched across his face. She found him a bit alarmingly happy for a simple evening at Hogwarts.

Maybe his family had come into sudden wealth and he had just read the letter, that explained the windfall.

"Ginevra!" She cringed, she hated her given name. It sounded more appropriate for a hunched over old woman, knitting garishly pink scarves with a cat named Mr. Tubbles. She wasn't exactly sure why, but that was the imagery it had always given her.

"Field." She greeted nicely albeit more subdued than him.

"None of that now! It's Greg—and these tossers here are William Mason and Nathaniel White, but you can just call them Will and Nathan—or dumbarse and dumber, whichever you prefer really." He smiled.

She cracked a grin at his humor and tried to smile at his two friends, Will looked friendly enough but Nathaniel had a frown on his face.

Apparently he had not taken as well to Greg's last remark. Nathaniel was average looking with an auburn head of hair and brown eyes, he was neither ugly nor dashing.

Will on the other hand Ginny noted, was what many girls would faun over. He had dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, a pleasantly tanned complexion, high cheek bones, a straight nose, the beginning of what would be a strong jaw line when he matured.

However while noting all of this, she didn't miss the fact that she just had just noted it, absolutely indifferently. Was it the effect of the Soul bond, she wondered.

"Wonderful to meet you, heard a lot about you...and a certain Potio—" Nathaniel started with the same wise-cracking grin that was smeared across Greg's face.

"Now come one—we all know that was just a story made up to laugh at, not even worthy of being called a rumor it was so _outlandish_!" Greg interrupted him.

Greg always seemed to speak in such an exuberant manner, as if you were in the middle of a festival, he was quite dramatic.

"He's right, that was...really it was just disturbing, whoever started saying that better hope I never find them." Ginny stated, her voice growing stronger as she got angrier over the mystery gossiper.

"Well I feel sorry for them if you ever find out," Will laughed, she blushed slightly realizing she had been unconsciously glaring and fingering her wand.

"So what year are you two in?" Ginny asked.

"Second year and first year," Will answered, gesturing first to himself and then to Nathan.

"I wouldn't be seen with them usually but they're old family friends so my Mum said I had to spend _some_ time with these ickle little firsties." He went on.

Rolling her eyes, her twin brothers had invented the phrase 'ickle little.'

"You do realize I'm a first year too?" She asked.

"Well girls are different." He said simply.

She rolled her eyes but didn't comment. "Hey we were going to go play some Quidditch? You could take some turns on my broom if you want! I heard your whole family played for the Lions, so you can't be _that_ bad...I suppose." Greg said.

She smiled and agreed to join them, she had missed flying with Harry, yet another thing she had only done with Harry which she would be doing without him. Her life was changing.

They had a wonderful time flying, between Greg's ridiculous behavior, Nathan's over-competitiveness and Will's easy going nature it was a great dynamic to witness. She wistfully thought to herself that had she been born closer in age to her brothers, maybe they could've played together like this. As it was even now when they came home for the holidays they never let her play with them, claiming she was just too little, they didn't want to hurt her.

Soon she was cleaning up for dinner before walking into the Great Hall where she sat with Sylvia, Susan and Helen.

"Where were you?" Helen asked.

"Out playing Quidditch with Greg, and Will and Nathan..." She said nonchalantly.

"Oh—so they're Greg and Will now are they?" Helen asked teasingly.

Ginny blushed, why did everyone always assume such ridiculous things, if only they really knew...

"No! They—They remind me of some of my brothers a little bit if anything...nothing like that...Merlin—We—we're only eleven! What is it with all you already starting to want to wear make up and be all...I don't know...boy crazy!"

Helen looked at her for a moment before laughing, "Well Ginny tell us how you really feel? I was just joking...relax, deep breaths."

"Hmph." Was the only response she got which only served to make her laugh harder.

"If you two are done with your giggle gathering," Sylvia interrupted a bit snidely, Helen rolled her eyes. "Really giggle gathering? That's not even a saying..."

Ignoring her Sylvia plowed on, "The Prophet, if any of you paid attention, didn't come this morning because apparently there is an evening story release they wanted to make in this issue...something bug must have discovered."

Helen turned to Ginny, "She may act all serious and studious but really Helen just loves dramatic, celebrity—"

She was interrupted, "That is not true! I would never concern myself with such trivial matters as whether Gwenog Jones' highlights look good, which by the way are hideous, but this might concern one of the old families in which case it is important to know!" Sylvia said passionately.

"What are the old families?" Ginny asked.

At this Sylvia gave her a disbelieving look while Helen began explaining, "There is a ranking order based on age and wealth of a family...there are the ancient families, powerful families, then the older but moderately wealthy, then the older middle class, and the new money."

"What are they?"

"Well we can't just teach all of it to you in one minute, there is so much to learn!" Sylvia snapped.

"The oldest and most ancient are the Malfoys, the Blacks, the Lestranges, the Flints—sadly, the Greengrasses, McKinnons, although they died off, Longbottoms and of course the richest, Potters. There's more but those are the most notable." Helen named off.

Ginny felt a bit shocked at that, she had always known they were well off, but richer than Malfoy? She didn't like it, she wished he was normal, it felt like just another thing in which she was inferior...

"Then there are the middle families, the Notts, the Goyles, my family, ect."

"My family used to be a middle family," Sylvia sighed sadly.

"What happened?" Ginny asked.

"Dad married a muggle, otherwise known as my Mother. Then she left him anyways, ruined our family for nothing." Sylvia said bitterly while staring off into the distance.

Ginny didn't know how to reply to that so she didn't.

"In age your family is a middle family, the Weasleys, and the Prewetts were one of the ancients, even though the name is lost..." Helen said trying to change the topic from Sylvia's comment.

"How'd you know I had Prewett in me?" Ginny asked.

"We're Slytherin, we _study bloodlines_." Sylvia said dryly. In reflection Ginny did admit it was pretty obvious.

The owls chose that moment to come streaming in with the prophet,

"Ready to read about Celestina Warbeck's affair?" Helan asked Syvlia who just glared at her.

Sylvia immediately reached for hers and gasped at the front cover.

Ginny raised an eyebrow wondering what could be so shocking, similar reactions were happening all over the hall.

Looking—concerned? Ginny wasn't sure, but Sylvia patted her hand and handed her the newspaper, which in itself was strange enough action as Sylvia always devoured the news before she let anyone else touch it.

Surely she hadn't read the story in half a second.

Looking down at the front page however, Ginny understood why.

**POTTER PERVERTED?**

**Boy Hero revealed to have scandalous**

**relations with eleven year old!**

Dear readers, keep this article away from innocent eyes as the details are truly shocking...Greedily sold their daughter to advance themselves...Albus Dumbledore permitting this...Calls for Potter's suspension as well as Black and Headmaster...removal of Ms. Potter from mastery program...Not as innocent as she looks, eleven year old Ginevra...sharing a room...moans coming from the bed room...child molestation or seduction by a twisted girl for her parent's money...a possibility of child prostitution...dresses provocatively...hurting innocent fellow students Worchester and Goodmen...clearly unafraid to spread...a very disturbing girl

The article went on, but Ginny couldn't read anymore, the sentences she had picked out floated around her disoriented mind.

She stood up shakily, noting that Harry was speaking furiously to Sirius, Dumbledore, and Heather at the head of the hall and they were quickly exiting a side door.

She would not run, she told herself. She would not give her onlookers the satisfaction of seeing her flee the hall.

She walked swiftly to the entrance and the moment, she rounded the corner, and she broke into a desperate sprint to reach the head girl's room.

She made it there gasping for breath, tears covering her face and sat down on her bed, blessedly glad that Katherine wasn't present. She sobbed hard, harsh cries that racked her whole body.

She didn't know what she would do...how would she ever face anyone again...she felt so stupid! So humiliated! And it was lies! All lies, the only true part being that they shared a room, and that was it! And now all of magical Britain thought—thought she was—this—this..._thing_!

And Harry, Sirius, Heather and Dumbledore! Would they really loose their positions over this, Heather had already put two years into her mastery, and Harry had just started and they just...they just couldn't get rid of the headmaster. He was Albus Dumbledore, the greatest headmaster Hogwart's ever had, as her father often told her.

And if he was forced to go, if any of them were, it would be all her fault for being to stupid as to run wildly to his room the first night! Of course someone saw! How could anyone miss her screaming like a banshee running down the corridor?

She cried even harder.

She didn't really want to talk to Harry right now, she wasn't sure she could face him. She wanted someone entirely private, who she could tell everything, she couldn't exactly tell Harry about the awkwardness she had begun to feel about _him _and how this would make it so much harder.

She couldn't tell him about how humiliated she felt, he _wouldn't_ understand.

But maybe Tom could.

Please Review!

Thank you to MelGinnylover for beta reading!


	15. Chapter 15

"That fucking bitch Rita Skeeter!"

"Language Ms. Potter!"

"Yes Professor," Heather acknowledged not really feeling sorry at all, or sounding like she did.

Harry rubbed his eyes and looked down at the floor.

"Do you really think we'll all be removed over this Albus?" Sirius asked.

Dumbledore shook his head, "I will ensure none of you get removed over this. This is simply not enough to remove me when I've been teaching here for nearly seventy years, but we all have to make sure that we maintain a very clean, trouble free record from now on. Another slip of this sort and it would be beyond my control."

"Well we need to do some damage control now," Heather said.

"We can probably sue Rita. She doesn't have any evidence to back her arguments anyways! The head girl took a vow, and I saw her at dinner tonight looking perfectly normal so it couldn't have been her. Besides, all she thinks is that Ginny is sick. I don't understand... How could have Rita seen Ginny coming into your room? Harry, you told me that she's been using the invisibility cloak right?"

"She has, I really don't know how Ritais doing it, I've checked the room. It is private there's no monitoring spells or anything."

"Could it be possible that Ms. Weasley confided in someone, someone she shouldn't have trusted?" McGonagall asked, "She is just eleven after all."

"She wouldn't have told anyone." Harry immediately replied. McGonagall gave him a skeptical look to which he added a little sharply, "I know Ginny, she _wouldn't _have told _anyone._"

"We can sue Skeeter for libel and be sure she doesn't write anymore articles concerning this—the Potter and the Black name and fortune are enough to shut her up with the right connections, don't worry about that Harry, I'll take care of that and investigate this further. In the meantime double check your room again for any surveillance spells."

"I don't care if it takes the whole family fortune, let's make that _bitch _pay!" Heather said vehemently.

"Language!" McGonagall almost shouted at her.

"Well come on Professor, what do you expect me to call her? _Sweetheart_? Darling?" Heather asked dryly.

Sirius was lost in his own thoughts, he seemed to hardly hear Heather's foul mouth, he was so accustomed to it now, "Have you ever noticed, how Rita _always_ tends to write these stories, and I mean _always_ with some very private information? And they always seem to have a small grain of truth in them, which is then twisted completely and blown out of proportion?" his eyes lit up suddenly, "They always do... Professor, what if the marauders aren't the _only_ unregistered animagus' around?"

Harry looked up that, "I suppose it's possible."

"It is very much possible. Harry use the alarm charm, that should warn you of any intruders, that would tell you if anyone in any form tries to enter. Meanwhile, we can look into that unregistered animagus theory, if there is anytruth in it, it could go a long way to discredit her and make the media die down a little." Albus said thoughtfully.

"Now that we have come to a decision here Mr. Potter, I'm sure there is a very upset young girl you probably should go check on." McGonagall suggested.

He nodded as he realized that he was being dismissed, they wanted to discuss something without him, but since he had no energy left in him to argue, Harry left the room.

Besides they were right, Ginny must be distraught.

"Ginny?"

The room was quiet, he had just cast a few security spells, when he swore, having heard something, he looked around, but the room remained quiet.

He was pacing in front of the entrance debating whether to go and retrieve her, when Ginny stepped in through the wall.

In an instant he had closed the distance between them, crouching down slightly to her height grabbed her in a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry." He said quietly. She didn't respond.

Stepping back, he noticed that there were tear tracks on her face, her eyes were puffy, but she looked strangely calmer than he had been expecting.

"Are you alright?" He asked, worried about her somewhat blank stare.

She still didn't respond, "Did anyone do anything to you?" He asked angrily.

She shook her head and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Ginny say something!" He finally said after another long pause.

She shrugged, "I'm fine Harry. Why is it that you all expect me to be this _stupid, fragile little_ girl all the time! I'm fine!"

He flinched a bit at her harsh tone, looking at her with concern,

he said quietly, "I don't think you are stupid, or fragile. But you are young, and this is a lot to deal with, even I'm having trouble coping with it—"

"Oh! So you think, you're the epitome of inner strength!" Ginny said derisively. Harry looked at her questioningly. He reached out a hand to put on her shoulder but she jerked away from him. Hurt flashed across his face.

"I'm just worried about you..." He told her softly.

"Honestly, why don't you actually mind your own business for once? You don't exactly have your life in order to be messing around with other peoples!" Ginny told him harshly.

He flinched again at her words, but spoke up, with a hard edge in his voice, "I don't know if you noticed yet, but you happen to be my business."

"Oh! Don't you dare, try to act like you own me because of this damned soul bond! You've always been trying to control me." She shouted, retreating a few steps from him.

"Like I—like I own you! Do you think I wanted this soul bond! Do you think I wanted to be married to a nine year old! Why would anyone want that! I have always put you first, I have never—" He broke off too angry to continue.

Tears had sprung in Ginny's eyes and she was hurt by what he had said, but she drew herself to her full height and spat at him.

"Oh _shut up, _it's always just poor pitiful little Harry isn't it? I bet you wish the article had had the whole truth, so you could get all the sympathy. With that _pathetic _moping of yours, you could hold some bloody pity parties everyday!" She didn't look or sound very eleven when she said it, she didn't even sound like herself.

Stepping another step back and giving her an odd look Harry continued, "Ginny I didn't do this! I didn't go to Rita and tell her to write a _fucking front page article _about us! And I know you don't deserve this, I'm sorry, but I didn't do this!"

Ginny refused to let the tears fall from her eyes. They were now standing at opposite corners of the room, her arms crossed and her back facing him as she had turned away.

Wordlessly she went into the bathroom. Not even bothering to look at him.

Letting out a deep breath, he went over to the bed and sat down, placing his head in his hands as he sat there. Frustrated beyond words...and with a certain heaviness weighing upon him he began to get ready for bed knowing she would take a while in the bathroom.

He was right.

He was already lying down trying to make sense of life, staring at the ceiling when she entered.

She climbed into her spot and lied down. He held his hand out for her to take but she just turned away, turning her back towards him.

He clenched his jaw, reached over and grabbed her hand anyways. He was not going to endure the horrible head ache tomorrow simply because Ginny was being unreasonable.

She didn't say anything.

When she finally did fall asleep Harry was still awake, looking at her worriedly, hoping she would be alright.

He had a hard time that night falling asleep, he found himself instead staring at the canopy of the bed, stroking Ginny's hair while she slept. She had unconsciously moved closer to him in her sleep, her head now rested near his shoulder.

The girl he was looking at now was a stranger to the girl he had seen a few month ago at Diagon alley, she was no longer the shy, happy, and sweet version of Ginny he had met earlier.

It was their first real fight and he did not like it.

"Well Potter I'll be sure not bring my kid sister around you!"

Someone shouted, Harry walked down for breakfast. He turned to yell at them but simply found a hallway full of students, all of whom, he suspected were talking about him. It was impossible to identify the name-caller. He glared at them angrily.

Snide comments and insults were thrown at his back all day long. None of them did it where he could see them though; they were still too cowardly to face him.

Heather had already been severely reprimanded by McGonagall for levitating two boys by their ankles; she had supposedly overheard them talking about Ginny.

Ginny wasn't in the room when he'd woken up that morning, and he had not seen since falling asleep with her.

He wasn't sure how to act around her in public anymore.

"Pervert!" Some girl shouted after him, he didn't even bother turning around this time.

He was seriously debating just going to the kitchens but he did not want to give the student body the satisfaction of knowing they scared him away.

A rotten apple was thrown at the back of his head. He wondered where they got that from. Several minor jinxes were also thrown at him, but he blocked when he felt them coming.

Some very disturbing first and second year girls, had tried to talk with him in the corridor, he was quick to escape them however.

Roughly asking them to leave him alone and not really caring whether he hurt their feelings. He had had enough for one day.

Several older boys made many inappropriate comments, some of which, made him glad that Ginny wasn't there to hear. When he had turned to hex them however they were already gone, which was probably for the best anyways.

Wondering what Ginny was going through, he decided to go look for her before he went down to breakfast.

Ginny had woken up that morning, embarrassed and angry to find that she had shifted towards Harry in her sleep.

She quickly got out of bed, which was quite an unusual occurring and dressed up hurriedly. Throwing her hair in a pony tail and she walked out of the passage.

It was still a little early for breakfast, so she started walking around the halls, heading in the general direction of the great hall but instead of going directly to it, she took a longer route wanting to kill time.

She had been walking for almost half an hour, lost in her thoughts. She was about to find a place to sit down, wanting to write in her diary when she heard someone say.

"Look what we have here!"

She turned around, there were two older boys leering at her, she didn't know them. They looked like they were in their sixth or seventh years.

She couldn't see their faces clearly. It was as if there was a charm obscuring it, they just seemed blurry an out of focus.

For a moment Ginny wondered if her eyesight was getting poor, she could see the other things clearly except their faces. That was when she realized that she needed to leave; people didn't usually hide their face. They were up to something.

Sensing danger, she tried to run away but one of them lunged towards her and caught her arm, pulling her back. "Not so fast now Weasley...we just wanted to have a little talk."

"Yeah, I don't see what all the fuss is about. Suppose Potter would know a little more than that though, wouldn't he? "

The other continued, "Pretty enough face, not much of a body though."

"Well, maybe she knows _stuff._"

She was struggling hard against her captor now; she yanked her arm free from his hold. But she had backed into a corner.

She pulled out her wand and pointed it at them but they just laughed. "Now what are you going to do with that little firstie, shoot sparks?" It sounded so much more sinister when they said it than compared to Fred and George, or Will the previous day on the Quidditch pitch.

One of them had reached for her again but before he could touch her, before she could even think of a Hex, another voice, a very familiar one, interrupted.

"Get _away_ from her." Harry practically growled.

Upon catching sight of him the two ran. Harry, who didn't know what was happening, simply assumed that they were simply making fun of her. He didn't realize what they had actually been trying to do and he let them run away.

Ginny was feeling embarrassed again, she felt stupid, she was quickly becoming angry again as she turned and walked past him. She _hated _being rescued.

"Ginny! Wait!"

"_Go away Harry." _She said sharply.

"No, you listen to me! You're being ridiculous! You don't have to walk away like that!"

He was now striding angrily next to her, he was about to reach out and grab her arm. But Ginny, sick of her arm being grabbed at every instance, yanked it away from him.

"You are not my keeper. I'm going to the bloody great hall." She snapped.

"Ginny..." Harry called in a tired voice.

But she ignored him and kept walking towards the hall long after Harry stopped following her.

She entered the hall and immediately felt all eyes on her, but she refused to look down, she found Helen and Sylvia at the table in their usual spot. Susan wasn't in sight.

Her usual spot, next to Helen was vacant. She sat down.

Suddenly there was a lot name-calling and murmuring all over the hall.

"Whore," some girl shouted, she didn't even bother to look. She didn't want anyone to see the tears that had collected in her eyes.

Helen gave her a tense smile.

Many boys were leering at her; almost everyone in the Hall seemed to be staring and pointing at her, some making rude hand gestures. She could hear some of them soiling her name without bothering to keep their voices down, they were placing nasty bets on her. It made her sick.

There was an awkward silence, until Sylvia broke it.

"Did anyone finish their potions essay?"

Ginny hadn't, she had planned to do it last night but the incidents from the last night had completely thrown all homework out of her mind. She had potions first thing in the morning and was pretty sure that Snape would show not leniency, no matter what.

Having lost her appetite, she didn't want breakfast anymore; she just got up and left her friends without a word. She was in the great Hall for less than three minutes before she walked out.

Soon she was in the girl's bathroom, sobbing, it was blessedly empty; she sunk down on the ground, resting her back against the wall.

As she sat there crying, she was interrupted by the opening of a door.

Gwendolyn Vanderbell walked in, she was the last person Ginny wanted to see, But Gwen simply came up to her and did something Ginny never expected Gwen to do, she sat down on the floor beside her, placing a hand on her shoulders.

They sat there a while in silence before Gwen spoke.

"You know, Rita is a lying bitch, she really is. But her articles always do have a little truth in them that you find underneath all those lies. I did some research on this topic; did you know that there are some forms of bonds that require the bonded souls to keep physical contact for at least eight or so hours every day? I figured your family wouldn't sell you, it had to be something else."

When neither of them spoke for a minute, Gwen continued.

"I hated you so much. You had a big loving family...I'm an only child who my parents were willing to give away for a little gold." She said bitterly.

"They disowned me you know...I'll be the next article, I've been disowned for refusing to enter the proposed marriage contract. My _friends _have left me too… Now that I don't have any status they don't want to be seen hanging out with me… It just... It made me sick…the way he looked at me...I would never marry him…I would even prefer muggle over him!" She paused.

"I'm not really that...well…either way what is done is done. Don't take the words of idiots too hard Weasley. There are a lot of them out there." And with that she stood up and walked away.

At the doorway she hesitated, "And for what it's worth Ginny, I am sorry about all the things I said."

Later that evening, Ginny was writing in her diary, well in a way, as she actually chatting with Tom.

Ginny had relived her entire day to Tom and was at the point where Gwen had made an attempt to pacify her in the bathroom.

_I really think she might be alright._

**She is probably just trying to leech of your status, now that she knows you're connected to one of the ancient families, I wouldn't trust her.**

Ginny stopped writing for a moment, going over the entire scene in her head, thinking about what Tom had said. But Vanderbell had seemed so genuine.

**I know you just want to see the good in everyone Ginevra, you're just being that wonderful person, I know you are. But I'm just trying to make sure you don't get fooled, there are some very manipulative people in this world.**

Ginny nodded although she knew he couldn't see her. Tom was just trying to look out for her best interest, she thought.

She then told him about her fight with Harry. She had deliberately failed to mention it earlier, wanting to keep that incident out of her mind.

_I just feel so, guilty now._

**Don't, he was being controlling. He doesn't seem to be that caring at all times. Perhaps what you said to him will open his eyes.**

Harry actually had always been caring, really. But then his earlier words flashed into her mind. '_Do you think I wanted this?' 'Who would want that?'_

He had sounded so bitter.

Tom was still writing.

**Besides, he probably angry since this is affects his other relationships.**

_Other relationships?_

**Ginny—he is a twenty one year old man. He must have some **_**partners. **_**He is rather wealthy and a young handsome celebrity after all. Besides he was already nine-teen when you both were bonded, He's not as innocent you think he is. I'm sure this whole soul bond affair wasn't received well with his paramour.**

Ginny flinched at Tom's words.

She didn't write, she just sat there, shocked she had never considered it before.

**You didn't realize it, did you? I'm so sorry Ginny. I wish I was there in person.**

She frowned, not wanting to answer that question. The idea made her sick, it made her angry. It made her feel a terrible weight, a physical pain. It was the most terrible feeling she had ever had. She clenched her fist trying to keep the tears at bay.

She thought about some of the older girls whom she had overheard, talking about Harry. She felt even worse. The thought seemed to be drive nails into her heart. She mentally compared her appearance to that of the girls she had heard. It was nothing, nothing compared to them. She had never wanted to be someone else, but at that moment she wanted to be someone else, someone more attractive, someone more beautiful.

Ginny didn't go to dinner that night, she had also received a detention from Professor Snape that day for failing to submit her essay.

Harry was on the verge of break down, apart from the stress he was also worried about Ginny.

She didn't say anything that night; she directly went into the bathroom and changed taking longer than usual.

Harry took her hand once she settled into bed.

"I'm sorry about everything Gin. I'm so sorry...I just...I want you to be happy." He said quietly but received no response.

He smoothed down her hair with his hand and felt her forehead for a fever.

There was nothing wrong, physically she seemed alright. No matter what Harry did Ginny refused look at him.

Sighing he took her hand again and tried to get some sleep.

It was a long time before he could fall asleep that night. What he didn't realize was, Ginny was awake for a long time as well.


	16. Chapter 16

Sirius had pulled a few strings with his political connections to get Rita's article retracted. He also sued her for slander which resulted in her being banned from writing for a year as penalty.

A story was let loose that Rita's only proof was a word of mouth. They then forced the Daily prophet to print an apology where they claimed that Ginny had only visited Harry for a while as she was upset and was hoping to see a family friend… And Rita couldn't exactly dispute this version without admitting that she was an illegal animagus, something, Sirius very much suspected.

However the damage was already done and the apology did little to change public opinion, both the students at Hogwarts and the wizarding population seemed happier to believe the more controversial version.

Both Harry and Ginny found themselves as the butt of various jokes and were constantly harassed.

Ginny was visibly upset all the time. No matter how many times Harry tried to talk to her, she didn't respond, it left him worried and at a loss.

He tried hard to get her to open up and confide in him, despite all his efforts, she never did. At mealtimes, although Ginny sat near her friends, she barely spoke to them, she instead choose to incessantly write into a journal of hers.

She was starting to look sick; she seemed tired and exhausted at all times. Harry was sure the weight of everything was taxing her. It was all because of him, he thought.

Time went on and soon a few months had passed since the article.

"Harry don't worry about it, I'll grade those essays." Sirius reaching for the rather large stack Harry had been about to grab.

Harry smiled thankfully at him; they sat there in companionable silence for a moment.

"Sirius has Ginny seemed...odd to you lately?" He finally asked, voicing his thoughts.

"No more than an eleven year old girl would be with everything that is happening." Sirius answered, looking up from his stack of papers.

Harry sighed, "It's just that...I don't know what to do...every time I try to talk to her she's like...she barely answers me. She won't even look at me anymore...sometimes I think Molly was right...maybe we should have home schooled her...I miss the little girl in Diagon alley, the girl who was always asking questions, always so excited and...who was actually happy." He finished sadly seeming to be broken hearted by the predicament.

Sirius gave him a sympathetic frown, "I really don't know what to say." He let out a sigh, "I just wish James and Lily were here, they would know what to do. You'd think after twenty years I had got over it but...I know they could've helped you and your sister so much more..." He trailed off.

"Sirius you've been the best parent we could ask for... If it makes you feel any better, I don't think Mum and Dad would know how to deal with a soul bond either, it hasn't occurred in centuries after all." Harry said wryly.

Sirius nodded, still unconvinced.

"I should probably get going anyways. She would be in the room soon." Harry muttered as he stood up and made his way out.

It was a little after curfew, the hallways were largely deserted and the lesser crowd was something Harry always appreciated these days. The crowded hallways always seemed to harbor people who shouted out insults and jokes at his back, while hiding in the crowd.

He wondered if it Ginny had to face similar situations.

She was already at the room when he arrived, writing in her diary again.

"Got a lot to write these days huh?" He asked casually as he walked in.

She snapped her head up, startled. She was so immersed in her diary that she hardly noticed Harry walk in.

Apparently the choice of words in his attempt at a conversation was a wrong one; she clutched the diary more closely, as if she was afraid something would happen if he were to see its contents.

"I like writing," She muttered, after a moment. Not meeting his eyes.

He nodded, "I tried to keep a journal once when I was about fourteen, but then Heather stole it and read it aloud to Sirius who thought it was hilarious and wouldn't punish her, so I quit. It was probably for the best; almost everything I wrote in it was just me whining." He laughed, but then her words from a few months ago flashed through his head, sobering him.

_Oh shut up, it's always just poor pitiful little Harry isn't it?...I bet you wish the article had had the whole truth, so you could get all the sympathy, with that pathetic moping of yours you could hold some bloody pity party everyday!_

He could still remember it word by word, he minutely flinched at the memory but she didn't notice it as she continued to stare at her diary.

She gave him a weak smile and that was all the reaction he got.

She didn't joke about Heather nor did she smile at him. She never asked if he had ever gotten revenge on his sister, or what the most embarrassing thing he had written was, she just sat there.

It was so unlike her, the coldness of it seemed to punch him in the chest.

"Are you ready for bed?" He finally asked after a long silence.

She merely nodded.

"Okay then." He said, going into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

When he returned she was already lying down on the bed, the diary was still in her hands as she continued to write in it. When he walked into the room she quickly shut the book and placed it away, not wanting Harry to see what she wrote in it.

Harry was hurt that she was so violently opposed to him these days, her secretiveness hurt him further. He frowned and looked away.

"How were your classes today?" He asked.

"Fine." She said, sounding like she was anything but fine.

"Um—did you learn anything?" He asked, still trying to get her to talk.

"Not really."

She didn't elaborate further.

"Are you okay?" He asked with concern, looking closely at her.

She refused to meet his eyes, "I'm fine."

"You just—you seem really tired lately. Have you—Are you ok? Is there anyone bothering you?" He asked grasping at straws trying to get her to open up. He would gladly have a word or two with any person if they were bothering her; she just had to tell him who they were.

"I said I'm fine, you don't really have to worry about me so much." She patted him awkwardly on the shoulder as if trying to comfort him. Even this small gesture seemed forced and faked.

"I'll always worry about you." He said sincerely hoping that it would soften her a little.

She nodded without saying anything.

"You know I care about you… right?"

This somehow snapped her pretense of being fine and her resolve to remain silent.

She still wouldn't look at him, "You hate this, don't you? You simply accepted it because you have no other choice. It's our fate and its fine if you hate me for being put in such a situation. But don't try to pretend otherwise. It's okay I understand." She said sadly.

"That's not true...I don't know why you would think that but, Ginny please..." He begged her.

"Look at me." He said with a commanding tone.

She however just threw back the covers and practically fled the room, leaving behind her diary in her haste. He was certain that he heard a sob before she left the room.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Harry hung his head, clueless. Not knowing, what to do.

He looked over and found her diary on the bed, next to him. It would be so easy...just to have a little look into it, he could at least know what she was thinking...

But no, he didn't want to invade her privacy that way. And from what had transpired earlier, she didn't any need more incentives to hate him.

That thought burned him from inside. Hate, was it even possible to _hate _your soul mate? He wondered…Well Ginny just seemed to be on that path.

He felt a heavy weight pulling on his heart as he got up…

Sirius looked at him in surprise, when he re-entered the office.

Harry just ignored him and grabbed a stack of essays to grade. They didn't talk for the rest of the night …Harry was thankful Sirius didn't press him. He didn't want to talk about it now.

The next day he had a terrible headache and felt very weak, it was the same bone deep tiredness, he had felt the last time when he had remained without physical contact with Ginny for more than twenty four hours. It had only happened twice since their bonding, and it was terrible both times.

The physical pain didn't help him ease, he was already depressed and frustrated and the pain seemed to heap further agony on him.

He snapped at Heather when she asked him if he was going to eat the last cream cheese danish at breakfast.

She turned to him with raised eyebrows. "Blimey Harry, I didn't know that you felt that _strongly _about cream cheese—Sorry I won't ask in the future."

Sirius sniggered in the back making Harry glare at him.

"I'm sorry, it's just...sorry." Harry muttered.

"He brought up that birthday cake of his I ate—when he was only eight years old...and they say women hold grudges." Heather told Sirius loud enough for Harry to hear it, and then smirked at him.

Ginny still wasn't in the hall. Though it was still early, Harry found himself watching the door waiting for her to walk through.

She never came.

The classes on that day were the longest, and worst of Harry's short lived teaching career.

His headache had become absolutely unbearable by the end of the day. He found himself falling asleep at his desk while he was grading papers that evening, and he didn't wake up until after curfew. He got up and groggily made his way to his room.

"_Rip...kill..."_

He jerked around wildly, wand raised and in an instant completely awake.

"_Let me rip you..."_

He spun the other direction but saw no trace of anyone.

It was such a hissing voice and didn't sound like a person...It was more like a snake.

He supposed it must be a snake that had wandered into the castle seeking a mouse for prey on.

He shook his head for being so paranoid and walked on, but long before he reached his room near the Slytherin common room, he found something that chilled his blood.

The Bloody Baron was floating completely immobilized in the air…and behind him was Gwendolyn Vanderbell, unmoving and rigid as a stone.

On the adjoining wall, there was something written in blood, on closer inspection, Harry found the words,_The Heir Walks Again._

Harry immediately sent his patronus to Dumbledore who was there before he could really process anything else. Snape, McGonagall, Heather and Sirius trailing close behind him.

"Oh my..." Minerva muttered, clearly aghast at the scene.

"The heir? Who's the heir?" Heather asked, no one answered her.

Dumbledore bent down, feeling the girl's forehead with his palm

and staring up at the floating stillness of the Baron.

"You found them this way..." He said it as a statement but Harry answered regardless.

"Yes, just now."

"Albus…who could have done this?" McGonagall asked.

He stood, "A number of things I'm afraid..."

He seemed to take a moment to compose himself, "Minerva, could you take Ms. Vanderbell to the infirmary please, tell Poppy...tell her everything we know as of now...and the girl will need mandrake juice." He said gravely, however the responsibility of a task seemed to snap McGonagall out of her stupor and straightening herself she immediately set out.

"Can the rest of you join me in my office?" He asked.

"Harry did you happen to hear, or see anything else strange tonight?" Albus asked as they all took their seats except for Severus who preferred to stand in the corner.

"I heard a voice..."

"Care to elaborate Potter?" Snape said snidely from his hiding place.

Heather shot him a mean glare though she had been about to say

something similar.

"It sounded like a snake. I didn't think much of it, I thought it was just a snake that got into the castle and was chasing its prey or something...but it...it was kept talking about ripping and killing...and it sounded...it sounded different than any snake I've heard before." Harry finally finished.

"Who is the heir?" Heather finally asked, running out of patience.

Dumbledore looked up at them all over his half moon spectacles,

"Fifty years ago when Armando Dippet was headmaster, there were many similar attacks at Hogwarts. Eventually a student died and it was believed the school would be closed...The perpetrator, or who the wizarding world was content to blame for it...was caught."

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Hagrid."

"What? That's not poss—"

"I know Ms. Potter, I don't believe it either, but regardless Hagrid is one who took the fall for it. The Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago. We all like to delude ourselves that it is a myth but I assure you, it is very real. Fifty years ago, the person behind these attacks was Tom Riddle...he was and is the last remaining heir of Slytherin and according to legends, he would be the only one who can control the monster. The only question now is how could he possibly be in the school attacking a student tonight?"

There was a heavy silence after that proclamation.

"What is the monster in the chamber?" Heather asked.

"No one knows." Snape said somewhat derisively, clearly thinking she should have already known that.

"No need to get your knickers in a twist Snivellus..." She muttered, He heard this and his scowl deepened.

"I think I heard it ...whatever the monster is...I think I heard it tonight—it has to be a snake of some kind." Harry said.

"A snake that petrifies people?" Heather asked.

Her question had a dramatic effect on the three older men.

Sirius and Severus seemed to loose the color in their faces. Dumbledore appeared to have realized something.

"Of course, the King of Serpents...It's fitting." He muttered to himself.

"Albus—you don't really think there's a Basilisk in the school?" Sirius asked somewhat shakily.

"That's exactly what I think is in the school...it fits everything from fifty years ago and tonight perfectly."

"You think there's a basilisk roaming around Hogwarts?" Heather asked alarmed.

"I believe we've established that Potter." Snape said dryly.

Heather turned to him, "Oh don't even try to act nonchalant, I saw the expression on your face a few minutes ago—it looked like you were going to piss yourself!"

"Language…" Dumbledore said sternly from where he sat. Heather had the grace to blush but did not offer an apology.

"You're certain the only remaining heir is Voldemort?" Sirius asked.

"Yes." Albus answered without hesitation.

"He must have given the instructions to one of his old death eaters, Many of their their children are students...one of them must be following those orders." Heather suggested.

"But the student would have to a parselmouth, wouldn't they?" Harry asked.

"Maybe he's possessing one of them." She said quietly.

A sudden silence fell at that, everyone were stone faced, "That would mean he's here...in the school right now." Harry muttered, horrified by the idea and immediately wondering where Ginny was.

"Brilliant deduct—"

"Oh shut up!" Heather interrupted Snape's sarcasm rolling her eyes.

Even Albus didn't bother to correct her.

Severus looked highly offended but seeing the severity of the situation did not press the issue.

"We need to get you and Ginny out of here, that's who he'll target. And you Heather." Sirius turned to them, with an expression on his face that said no argument.

"Glad to be seen as an afterthought." Heather muttered.

He ignored her, staring at Harry who already did not seem to like the idea.

"Ginny should be homeschooled until this is solved, but why me? I am a fully trained Auror Sirius, I don't need to run home like a school boy." Harry said.

Sirius looked angry and was about to respond when Albus interrupted him.

"Harry, Heather—why don't you retire for the night. We can make plans tomorrow; I highly doubt the heir striking twice in one night."

Nodding the two siblings made their way out of the office.

"Twenty one and twenty three and still being treated like ten year olds," Heather said as soon as they reached the corridor.

Harry gave her a rueful smile, "That is never going to change...you know Sirius."

"You mean the overprotective nut who we once tried to call as Dad?" She asked.

They had been very young when they had once tried to call Sirius Dad, Sirius had overreacted making them repeat for two whole days, 'My Dad is James Potter, he was a wonderful father. We must never forget him.'

He had never moved on...The loss of his best friend still affected him badly.

He spent a large amount of their child hood, especially the early part wondering what James and Lily would've done and wishing they were there… instead of making decisions himself, something that drove Remus crazy. He had gotten better as the years went by, but he had always been fiercely over protective.

When they reached the stairs, Heather went down the third floor and as Harry continued further down she turned to him and said, "Just—be careful Harry...and watch out for Ginny too."

"I will."

However the sight that greeted him, when he arrived back at the room, was a disturbing sight.

Ginny was trying to siphon the blood off of her school robes.

She jumped about a foot in the air when he walked in. Her eyes were red from tears and she was choking on sobs as she looked at him and said,

"H—Harry, I can't remember the last four hours..."

**Please review, and a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, they really do motivate me so much.**

**And thank you to MelGinnyLover for beta reading! **


	17. Chapter 17

"Ssssh...Its alright, just tell me, what happened."

She didn't answer and continued to sob uncontrollably. He had never seen her loose her composure so badly, she normally never cried in front of others.

"I—I..." She broke off, hysterically.

He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder but she flinched away violently, stumbling in the process and falling against the wall, still crying.

Harry looked around the room, and grabbing a cup from the nightstand, filled it with water and handed it to her. She didn't take it, setting it beside her and he sat down next to her.

"You should drink some...it'll make you feel better." Harry said delicately.

There were a few traces of blood on her robes even now.

Harry used some cleaning spells to remove most of it. He was worried, wondering where it came from.

He couldn't get all of it; it had dried on her hair, and was smudged onto her chin. She looked horrifyingly covered in blood.

"Ginny...you need to tell me what happened." He said softly.

She didn't respond again, now clutching the cup of water close to her.

"I can help you! Just tell me what it is...I won't tell anyone...please—tell me." He pleaded.

He tentatively put his arm around her shoulders; she tensed but did not shy away.

"It's alright...whatever it is...it's going to be alright." He tried to sound convincing.

He was starting to get angry now—whoever had done this...

Someone had clearly done something, and they would pay.

Ginny was taking in deep breaths through her hiccups now, "Drink the water."

She finally took his suggestion and took a few small sips, it slowed down her breathing.

"I'm sorr—sorry..." She gasped, her panic returning.

"No don't say anything now...stay calm...just drink some more water...don't think about anything right now." Harry said hastily seeing the beginnings of another bout of hysteria.

He hugged her closer trying to comfort her.

"You're okay now...whoever did this—they won't touch you again." He smoothed her hair down, feeling the clumps, made in it by the dried blood.

She nodded as a slightly determined expression came on to her face.

Abruptly she shook his arm off and jumped up.

Scurrying to the night table she grabbed her diary, and holding it at arm's length, far away from her, she locked it into the trunk in the room.

Harry, who watched all of this from the corner where he was seated, was bewildered.

Was it her? Was something done to her or was it something she had done to herself? Is it possible that she was ashamed of herself, was that why she was locking away the book? Until recently, she had been pouring her heart away into it…But no, she had said she couldn't remember the last four hours...she wouldn't lie. Ginny was not a liar over serious matters, or at least she never did until now.

Harry thought, but it still didn't fit. Ginny could occasionally be a little cruel with her wit, especially when she was jealous, but she was mostly so sweet, young and naive.

She couldn't have done anything so...nothing to merit this misery that had befallen her...it had to be someone else.

The action of putting the book away seemed to have broken whatever calm she had established and she was crying again.

Harry went over to her and with a hand on her shoulder guided her to the bed and coerced her to sit down.

Standing in front of her he asked, "Who did this to you?"

She just shook her head and kept crying, silent tears now streaming down her face, the harsh sobbing had stopped now.

"You need to tell me what happened." Harry pleaded; a little irritation was beginning to creep into his voice.

He waited but she never gave any response.

"Ginny if you don't tell me, how would I know? And without knowing what happened I can't help you—you clearly seem to need some help." He said sharply.

She still just mutely shook her head, shifting further away from him.

He sighed in frustration, "_Look_, what is the last thing you remember?"

There was a long pause and he was about to snap at her when she finally answered in a low voice, it was so low that it was hard to

hear, "I—I...I was on the sc—school g—grounds."

This still didn't answer his question; he could make nothing out of it.

But Harry found it hard to be irritated with her when she sounded so distraught. He had never seen her being this upset.

He sat down beside her, once again draping an arm around her shoulders.

"It's okay." He repeated, gently and what he hoped was in a reassuring manner.

There was another long pause where she just stared at her feet, dangling down from the bed, her head hung in what looked like shame and tears kept streaming down her face.

Harry not knowing what to do, finally decided, he needed help,

"Why don't we go see Professor Dumbledore?" Ginny admired the headmaster greatly and Harry was sure that she would immediately agree.

He was wrong.

She shook her head frantically, her breathing became harsh and she started shaking on silent sobs.

"N—No, p—p—please...d—don—don't." She gasped out.

"Alright, alright… it's alright," He rubbed some circles on her back like Sirius had done, when he was only five and had realized that he would never meet his parents.

Harry sat there for a moment while Ginny attempted to regain some composure wondering whether he should force the issue.

On the one hand he was intensely worried about her and he knew the headmaster would be able to help...after all he could easily stun her and carry her there.

While on the other hand, it would be better to wait a little a longer while and see if she agreed to go on her own. Her reaction to the suggestion had been so extreme.

They lied back down on the bed, still fully clothed in their day wear clothes. Blood was still matted in her hair, as she put her head on his shoulder, not crying anymore just staring blankly.

She looked terrible…exhausted… she seemed too frail, too pale, with circles under her eyes. Her eyes themselves—were so dejected and her face held so much panicked expression even though she had calmed down considerably.

Harry felt agonized; Ginny was never supposed to feel this way.

Whatever it was, it was not just a simple or a childish matter. Something serious had happened to warrant a reaction like that...It was an understatement to say Harry was just worried.

Someone had put her under the imperious. What else could explain the loss of memory she suffered during the last four hours, some bastards must have used an unforgivable on her...He would kill them, Harry thought.

He wondered as to what all they had made her do, but he couldn't for long; the horrible acts his imagination conjured made him very angry. He unknowingly balled up his fists, causing Ginny to stiffen beside him.

A memory charm was the only option, but that was just as bad. They had still messed with her...he would kill them—whoever they were.

She needed to go to Madame Promfrey, to make sure they hadn't...he couldn't think any further...

He also had to go see Dumbledore, Dumbledore could help her. Perhaps this and Vanderbell's attack were connected. It was a known fact that whoever was acting on behalf of Voldemort would target him, and if they were targeting him, the best way to do it was through Ginny.

That had to be the reason. He didn't know why he hadn't realized it before, whoever their heir was, they had done something to her.

She was still just laying against his shoulder limply, broken—looking _betrayed_?

"Do you have any idea who might've—who did this to you?" He asked quietly.

"No." She answered, too quickly; it was not up to her usual standard of lies. But Ginny didn't lie about important things, he told himself, she never had...She wouldn't.

But she had just done so. He was sure...whoever it was...she knew… or at least she suspected what had happened. She seemed to be ashamed of it, ashamed or terrified into keeping it a secret.

Harry felt somewhat betrayed; didn't Ginny trust him even after all this time? Didn't she at least trust him enough to confide in him.

Hadn't he always acted in her best interest? Didn't she—?

But then he reminded himself. This entire year he had clearly failed give her a reason to believe otherwise. He hadn't helped her cope with her new house, he hadn't been careful enough to keep their secret; If hadn't been for his carelessness, she wouldn't have been harassed like she was, no eleven year old should have faced such a situation… and now he wasn't there to protect her from whatever terrible...whatever the bastard had done.

He knew _they _had done something terrible.

"What do you remember—do you remember anything strange? Anything strange at all before you lost your memory?" He asked.

"No." She said tonelessly, but she wouldn't meet his eyes when she said it.

"How—" He swallowed, worried about the answer and what it might reveal, the nightmares it might give him...but that was so selfish of him and he needed to know.

"How did you wake up? Where were you when you realized...when you knew what was...How..." He didn't know how to phrase his question.

She however understood, "I was just outside the room, at the door."

She said quietly.

Harry was somewhat relieved, that answer didn't reveal much, and he found himself wishing that he didn't need to know further. He was too scared to find out what they had done to her.

It was all his fault. She was targeted because of him. Whatever it was that had happened to her, it was because of him.

He felt as if a huge weight had settled onto his chest, the air seemed to compress in his lungs and a hand seemed to crushing his heart; digging it's fingernails in deeply.

It was all his fault.

She didn't deserve this.

Disentangling himself Harry decided that he had to go see Professor Dumbledore. He would be able to help her. He couldn't stay in this room looking at her heart broken face… knowing it was his fault.

He wanted to leave, he felt like the walls were closing in on him.

She grabbed his arm however as he was about to standup, gripping strongly onto his sleeve like a tiny child afraid of the dark.

She didn't say anything, but he could tell by the desperately pleading look on her face that she couldn't handle him leaving her alone right now. That she needed him.

Deciding that it could wait until the morning, he laid back down beside her and placed her head back onto his shoulder, his arm back around her, cradling her… they stayed that way until they fell asleep late at night.

He knew that Ginny was hiding something and she knew that Harry could see through her feigned ignorance. They both knew that, come tomorrow she would have to confess everything that she was aware of and there would be no telling lies in front of the headmaster.

But for the night, it was soothing just to lay there in silence, not talking, there was really not much to be said after all.

Harry woke up early the next morning. He was woken up by the cold; he had slept on top of the covers the previous night, wearing in his day-wear clothes from the day before. He was filthy and had some of the grime had rubbed off from Ginny's robes onto his.

'_Ginny'_.

He sat up abruptly looking around wildly, realizing that she wasn't beside him.

He was on his feet in an instant… almost running into the bathroom...she wasn't there either.

Using the passage way, he went into the head girl's room, hoping that the head girl wasn't there or at least wasn't awake.

The room was completely empty, Ginny wasn't there either.

He sprinted back into his room, stopping at the door to calm himself down. There was no need to panic, she was probably at breakfast.

He knocked down several students on his way to breakfast and did not stop to apologize. He was too distressed; he had to check if Ginny was there.

Heather gave a quizzical look at his frantic behavior, and as Harry approached her.

"I can't find Ginny!"

"She's probably just at the library or something Harry..." Heather said, confused as to why he was making such a big fuss about it.

"No, you—you don't understand! Something happened—she was covered in blood last night and couldn't remember anything that happened after her afternoon classes and then this morning she's—we need to find her… now." He said shortly.

Heather paled visibly on hearing this, she started to fret, and it was highly unusual for his sister to look anything but perfectly casual.

She nodded, "I'll go tell Dumbledore, Sirius and just well...I'll get a search party going...just keep looking." She briefly patted him on the arm before turning and storming off towards the head table.

Spinning on his heal Harry immediately walked out of the great hall.

He almost ran to the library. Only a few Ravenclaws could be found.

He then checked the infirmary, hoping to see her there...something must have been hurting from what _they _did to her...he simply wanted to kill them.

She wasn't there.

On seeing a red headed girl, he ran down to her, roughly grabbed her arm and turned her around...only to be disappointed…he should have known...the hair was too dull...it wasn't tomato red… it wasn't Ginny's…it wasn't the beautifully glowing hair with strands of gold in it.

He went to the headmaster's office finally, hoping that she had gone there, she hadn't.

Dumbledore had organized several search parties. Sirius,

McGonagall and Heather were all searching now, even Dumbledore was out searching.

There was no sign of her.

Dumbledore had asked Snape to question the Slytherins…none of them had seen her.

On enquiring, the head girl had said that Ginny hadn't come back to her room since last night.

Her friends were clueless and didn't seem to know of any place where she might be.

Harry's hair was a wreck, even more than the usual. Harry had been running his hands through his hair in frustration, his eyes were bloodshot. He hadn't changed his robes either. He was still wearing the dirty ones from the day before.

Hagrid hadn't seen Ginny on the grounds.

Harry took to flying, he flew furiously over the grounds, scanning the grounds for any hint of red, but Harry couldn't find her.

She wasn't in any of the empty class rooms either. Now with Snape, Flitwick and Sprout joining the search, they had checked everywhere possible and still hadn't found her.

Sirius even checked the shrieking shack out of desperation, she wasn't there.

She wasn't in the kitchens. None of the house elves had seen her.

Even the resident ghosts had joined in on the search…Nearly headless Nick, the Grey Lady, the Fat Friar or the Bloody Baron none could find her.

Harry sat down leaning on the wall, resting his hands on his knees.

He hunched over, and allowed a few tears to fall. He hadn't cried since he was seven years old. He then immediately chastised himself for crying, his tears wouldn't help her and that he needed to do something useful instead of sitting there moping.

It was now seven in the evening and Ginny was still missing.

Harry felt terrible, more so than just being tired, more than just being distraught, more than that, it was like someone was slowly draining the life straight away from him.

He had never felt so weak.

It pained him physically to straighten from his hunched position.

There was a hitch even when he walked.

He felt as though someone had slipped a knife through his ribs, puncturing his lung and suffocating him. It was probably the situation that pained him, more than any physical ailment.

He limped along, still checking for Ginny in empty class rooms.

"Harry..." It was Heather, she sounded distressed, her voice was thick with tears and it was grief stricken.

"What?" He asked her, she was distracting him. Didn't she understand that he had to find Ginny?

"We've—Flitwick stumbled upon something near in the second floor...I—H—Harry..." She couldn't go on… her words were stifled by inconsolable weeping.

Giving her his full attention now, Harry followed her to the second floor with dread pouring into his deepest core, filling it with a cold hopelessness.

He felt like he was in a dream, like he was just watching it...like it was not really happening… it couldn't be… His world couldn't end so soon.

It was written in blood again.

_Her Skeleton Will Lie in the Chamber Forever_

**Please review if you like quick updates.**

**Everyone thank MelGinnylover for awesome beta reading! **


	18. Chapter 18

"Po—Harry," McGonagall said unsurely, placing her hand on his shaking shoulders.

He turned toward her though his expression remained unchanged, he was furious. Had been there anyone else in her place, they would have flinched away from the crazed look he wore.

"Why are we all JUST STANDING HERE!" He shouted.

Advancing on his sister, who was standing beside McGonagall looking distraught, he yelled, "DO YOU THINK CRYING IS GOING TO HELP THIS HEATHER? DO YOU?"

She was startled, but she simply shook her head silently, tears still streaming from her eyes.

"Learn to control yourself Potter. It's no wonder though, your father never had any self control either," Severus said sharply, stepping away from Harry.

Without a seconds thought, Harry swung at him violently. He would have very easily broken Snape's nose had he landed the punch.

Snape however, was unbelievably quick on the draw. He blasted Harry backwards into the other wall even before Harry could think of taking another swing.

For a moment, Harry just stayed on the ground, dazed from the collision. He then forced his severely aching, extremely fatigued body off the ground.

Without sparing McGonagall, Heather or Snape a glance, he started limping away.

He couldn't stand to look at them anymore.

They didn't attempt to stop him either for they had already given up hope of seeing Ginny alive. They felt sorry for Harry, but they couldn't think of doing anything to lessen his pain.

Flitwick had gone to retrieve Albus. McGonagall and Snape were watching Harry's retreating back, while Heather simply stood their transfixed, not being able to move.

Harry trudged around the corridor until he got to the far end, away from the agonizing message.

He wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings. He didn't realize where his legs were leading him; He simply pushed open a door, and slid down beside a sink, drawings his legs close, hiding his face.

It was the unused girl's bathroom on the second floor. The floor was wet in many places and dust had collected in a thick layer on the sinks and cubicles. The side walls were coated with grime. He didn't care about it though, as he leaned back against the vanity.

Harry's pain was unbearable. He felt helpless, it just couldn't happen, he thought.

Ginny couldn't die...it wasn't possible.

She was only eleven—eleven year olds didn't die.

It just...It just couldn't happen…

He clenched his fists, breathing hard; he could feel his heart being laboring each beat as his lungs refused to allow air in.

He was dying too. Not of a broken heart, although it couldn't be ruled out, but of a breaking soul bond, he realized.

Where ever she was, she really was dying, this was real. He could feel it. It was actually happening.

His vision blurred. They were both so young to...Ginny—she hadn't, she hadn't done anything. She was just eleven, she shouldn't be dying.

But she was. The life was slowly draining out of her. He could feel it.

He was still shaking, choking on dry sobs. The tears were collecting rapidly in his eyes, threatening to fall.

He should have made her go to the headmaster...he had been irresponsible last night...he—it was his fault. He deserved to die, she didn't.

He knew it. He had failed her. And now, even Ginny had to pay the price of his failure.

It was entirely his fault—he was the adult among the two, the caretaker and he hadn't taken care of the most important person in his life. He had failed.

"Why are you _crying?"_A girlish voice asked, it sounded almost like she was enjoying his obvious distress.

He looked up to see the ghost of a rather plain young girl, with limp dark hair and square framed glasses sitting on a broad nose.

She was clearly ecstatic to see someone so miserable.

Harry didn't bother to respond.

"Oh—so you're one of them then." The girl said snottily, seemingly hurt by his lack of attention despite her pitiful show of concern.

He continued to ignore her. It wasn't difficult to do so, especially when he had so much pain to focus on.

"That little ginger girl didn't want to talk either...of course no one wants to talk to poor pitiful Myrtle." The girl said.

She had started to float away when Harry snapped his head up and shouted, "What ginger girl?"

She looked at him seemingly hurt, "Oh—so now you want to talk?"

"Listen—this is important—you have to tell me! Can you describe the girl?" He asked desperately.

Myrtle seemed to consider for a moment before she finally answered, she was clearly enjoying having power over someone.

"That little first year girl...a Slytherin...she's always in here crying." She said dismissively, starting to leave again.

Scrambling to his feet Harry ran after her, "Wait! Was she—was she here today?"

Myrtle rolled her eyes, "Yes...this morning, _very _early..." Myrtle trailed off looking over at one of the wash stalls.

'_Professor, the chamber—it's been opened before?'_

'_Fifty years ago the chamber was opened, a girl died before Hagrid was framed.'_

Harry looked over at Myrtle, realization dawning on his face.

"Myrtle, how did you die?"

She turned back looking at him, giggling girlishly, elated at someone taking such an interest in her.

"Oh, it was _horrible_," she tittered.

"What happened?" Harry had to work to keep his tone polite. His urgency for details threatening to take over, but it would no good to offend her now.

"I was sitting right over there." She pointed to a spot not far from where he had just been.

"You see Olive Hornby had been teasing me about my glasses again. I was crying and someone came in. I told them to _go away_. But when I looked up, all I saw was a pair of big yellow eyes—right _there_." She pointed towards the sinks.

"And then I _died_." She said dramatically.

Harry however had stopped listening the moment she had mentioned the big, yellow eyes.

He quickly made his way over to the sink, ignoring the stitch in his side and the pain he felt in his chest.

He felt around the faucets looking closely, until his fingers brushed across an engraving.

He felt it again, it felt like a snake. He craned his head around to see a small snake engraved into the sink, barely noticeable as it was the same dull grey as the faucet it rested on.

He pressed down, but it didn't move.

Slytherin's chambers wouldn't just open to anyone he thought, perhaps there was a password...perhaps...he should try parseltongue.

"Open!" he said, but it sounded like English to his ears. He tried again.

"_Open_." And this time, the floor began to sink around him causing Harry to jump away from the hole appearing where the sink had been, as it went below the chamber somewhere out of sight. The dark pit that opened up seemed deep and Harry couldn't see the bottom of it, to see if it had an end. It was pitch dark, but it hardly mattered, Harry would take any chance if meant a slim stake at saving Ginny.

Myrtle looked on speechlessly.

"You're not going to go down there, are you?" She asked alarmed.

Harry didn't bother to answer.

"If you die...you could share my toilet…you know"

Taking a deep breath, he jumped down the pit. Ginny was down there somewhere, and that was all that mattered to him.

Dank, foul smelling air whipped into his face and assaulted his nose as he slid down the tunnel, landing in a heap into a pile of what seemed to be animal bones.

He scrambled to get up, despite his efforts, he could only move slowly, his muscles screamed in protest, his robes felt heavier. He felt as though a knife was stuck between his ribs, and someone was twisting it, grating it against the bone. However when he reached for it, he found nothing there.

As he lit his wand Harry found himself in a large, slimy cavern. He stumbled forward. A few steps further he found something, it was huge and looked like dry skin of a snake…

On seeing the entire length of the snake skin, he was awed. The snake skin was nearly sixty feet long.

Ginny was here somewhere down here, and snake or no snake, he would not leave the chamber until he found her...even if it was only her body to bury.

He shook his head. How he couldn't think such a thing? He knew that if anything happened to Ginny, he would die even before he reached her.

He kept trudging through the filth of the chamber until he came to a door surrounded by metal serpents.

Parseltongue had worked once, and he would guess it would work again.

"_Open_," he hissed, this time he got it right on his first attempt. The sinister metal serpents helped fuel his imagination. It was an eerie feeling as he watched the snakes slither around unlatching the door.

He hobbled through the door way, entering a grand room with an aisle surrounded by statues of serpents, all pointing towards a statue of a wizard with a a crudely sculpted face. Harry immediately knew that if had to be the likeness of Slytherin himself.

Underneath this statue, Harry could make out a faint outline of a body—it was Ginny.

She was lying on her back, her dirty robes soaked with water and her hair which was still matted with blood, fanned out behind her.

She was pale as death and was absolutely still.

Ignoring the blundering of his steps, Harry ran to her as best as he could, dropping down to his knees beside her.

He pulled out his wand and tried an enervate spell. It didn't work.

"Ginny...Ginny please..._please _wake up...you can't leave me..._please wake up! _Don't do this to me. WAKE UP!" He shouted at her limp form, shaking her shoulders.

"She won't wake." A cool voice spoke from the shadows.

Harry whipped his wand out, staggering to his feet looking around wildly.

A handsome young boy stepped out of the dark, arrogance written across his aristocratic features.

From a distance, one might have confused him with Harry, but anyone who stood close by, would see the difference immediately.

This boy's features were finer. Harry's meanwhile were rougher but in a way it was more pleasant. There was a some quality in Harry's face that projected comfort, that spoke of affection. These were completely lacking in the cold-eyed boy before him.

"Who are you?" Harry spat out, wand ready, muscles tense.

"Going to duel me Potter? I'd like to see you try. Especially in this state—why, if this is the great power of _love _that old fool was talking about; then he was more ignorant than even I thought." He said, emphasizing the word love like it was something disgusting.

"Do you feel the magic draining from your body? Do you feel the soul bond breaking?" He asked mockingly.

Harry tightened his already white knuckles further on his wand.

"Who are you?"

The boy gave him another arrogant smirk, his cold eyes never leaving Harry.

"Don't you recognize the dark lord when you see him Potter?" He asked.

Harry was stunned, He couldn't believe his eyes as he stared for a moment before asking, "How—Voldemort is gone! He's been gone for—you are just a boy!" Harry shouted.

"A boy? No, not quite yet anyway. I will be soon be, thanks to your dear, sweet little Ginny." He taunted.

He laughed at Harry's pained expression."She was all too eager to confess her heart to me, '_No one understand me like you Tom.'" _He imitated.

A look crossed his face. It was the look of a predator preying on its hunt. He continued mockingly, "_I wish Harry could be more like you._"

Harry winced, hurt marring his features. "She never said that." He said, wishing he could sound more convincing.

Tom laughed, "Oh yes she did, she told me everything until there was nothing left but for me to own her soul. And luckily for me, her soul came with yours, the one person I had wanted to meet all along."

Tom smirked and continued, "Right from the moment when she had told me about you and your story, I knew I needed to meet you. I had been going to continue the attacks, carrying out my noble ancestor's great work and ridding this school of all the muggle filth. Then at the very end, have her kill you herself...but she ruined it by _telling _you...and then I knew that you would go to the headmaster, so I had to act...faster than I had planned. She thought locking up the diary in a trunk would stop me, such an idiot girl. She didn't realize that she had already given me too much of her soul, I didn't _need _the diary anymore to control her." He paused, looking down condescendingly at Ginny.

"I meant for her to kill you in your sleep that night, but she wouldn't do it, she was apparently strong enough to resist that. It's probably a survival mechanism of the soul bond you both share. So then I decided to have her write her own death on the wall and come here. She tried resisting, worried that it would kill you—as it will in a few moments from now. I would have enjoyed watching her murder you with her own hands. But it doesn't matter; I can just kill you now."

Tom still smirking turned away from Harry.

"Then why don't you attack me yourself, instead of relying on eleven year old girls to do your job, you coward!" Harry hissed at his back, wand raised.

"That I would, but why not make it a bit more interesting, let's see if the so called heir of Gryffindor can defeat the legendary Slytherin monster."

And then he began to speak in parselmouth, prompting the mouth of Salazar Slytherin to open and reveal a large head protruding out of it.

Harry knew that it was the Basilisk; he knew he couldn't look.

Harry squeezed his eyes tightly shut and began to fire the best blasting hexes he could, blindly in that general direction.

"That won't help you Potter—didn't you know, the basilisk's skin is like armor. Your pathetic excuse of an hex is not going to hurt her. Look, you don't even have the strength to cast them … It seems a soul bond does indeed kill…how interesting...all this while I could have simply killed her to kill you."

And he was right. Harry was already sinking to his knees. His legs gave out.

He kneeled beside Ginny, looking at the ground, breathing harshly as his vision faded—waiting to die.

The snake was slithering towards him. It would be the end soon. He grabbed Ginny's hand and held it tightly, trying to apologize to her unconscious form for all the ways he had failed her.

He could hear the basilisk, it was very close to him, but he didn't open his eyes, as he waited for the inevitable.

Ginny's hand was cold in his; it felt as though she was already a corpse.

"_Sectumsempra!" a familiar voice shouted._

Harry looked up, hoping the basilisk was not facing him, hoping that its eyes were not trained on him. He was thankful that he hadn't died for his stupidity has the basilisk was thrashing through the air, eyes closed. Blood was streaming out of its mouth which had a violent gash through it.

Harry looked behind him and saw that it was none other than Severus Snape.

"You'll pay for that, you _old _fool." Tom hissed, stepping out of the corner raising his wand.

"Not as old as you my _lord_." Snape said coldly before he summoned a tooth out of the now dead Basilisk, catching it with dexterity that no one would have thought he had and stabbed it deeply into the diary.

Horrible cries echoed through the cavern as white light poured out of the diary and filtered through Tom, it filled the dark room turning everything white, then it flashed brighter as if it were a supernova exploding, turning everyone momentarily blind, finally fading and bringing the earlier darkness along with it.

Ginny who was now cradled in Harry's arms, did not stir.

Harry blinked rapidly trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness as he looked down at her, frantically shaking her shoulders trying to revive her.

"Why isn't she responding?" He asked Snape worriedly, never taking his eyes off her.

Snape gave no answer and Harry began to feel even more worried, "Ginny, come on...wake up...he's gone now...you have to wake up."

He said, trying desperately to revive her.

He turned to Snape and shouted, "HELP HER!"

However his shouting seemed to do the trick as she woke up abruptly and in her haste to sit up she slammed her forehead into Harry's chin, giving them both terrible pain to add to their other aches.

Harry however couldn't care less, he hugged her to him muttering, "you're alive...you're alive..." There were a few small tears streaming down his face but he couldn't at in that moment, bring himself to care.

Ginny was just sitting there, too stunned to speak. When she was finally released from the -worthy hug that Harry had pulled her into, she began to remember where she was and what had happened.

"Harry...it was me...I attacked Gwen—I opened the cham—"

She was interrupted, as Snape said sarcastically, "For Merlin's sakes girl, we are standing in the chamber of secrets now...did you think that I am such a dunderhead that I haven't realized it by now?"

She was surprised as she turned to look at him, not having noticed he was there before.

She nodded, not meeting his eyes, ducking her head embarrassedly.

Harry rose shakily to his feet, pulling Ginny with him, still maintaining a strong grip on her hand.

They trudged back to the entrance in silence, Ginny looking ashamed, as she stared at the ground, Snape striding as usual in front of them. Harry meanwhile wondered what on earth he was going to do with Ginny.

She was safe...for now, but how long would that last? She had only been at school three months and already she'd almost died...she'd been possessed by Voldemort and was forced to attack one of her housemates.

And she had almost died. He kept repeating it in his head, he had almost lost her.

He was starting to wonder if Sirius was right, maybe homeschool was a better alternative. Was it right of him to put Ginny in danger, which he himself had avoided…?

"Will I be expelled?" Ginny asked suddenly.

Snape was several feet in front of them and if he did hear it, he wisely let Harry answer.

"No don't worry, you will not be expelled. I will duel Dumbledore if I have to…" Harry said firmly, attempting to lighten the mood.

Ginny nodded weakly, giving him the tiniest of smiles.

They found the entrance, Harry who was momentarily lost in his thoughts, stared into the hole that led upwards, showing no sign or intent of doing anything.

Snape turned towards Harry, "Well Potter, you are the only Parselmouth here."

Harry looked around and Snape sighed, clearly irritated, "Use your parseltongue. Are you so thick headed? Do you think the heir of Slytherin simply stood there staring at the entrance?"

"No, he rode the basilisk out." Ginny said, trying to sound innocent.

Snape just glared at her.

Harry however, couldn't help but let a huge grin grow on his face. She would be okay eventually, he thought. She was still Ginny.

Not knowing what to do, Harry simply concentrated on speaking in parseltongue and said the first thing that came to his mind when he thought of climbing.

"

_Stairs_," it worked, as a large stair case emerging from the wall.

They tiredly trudged up, Harry never let go of his grip on Ginny, shaken by the whole ordeal even if the worst did seem to be behind them.

It was a long dirty trek to the headmaster's office, covered in grime and more exhausted than they had ever been in their lives.

Snape seemed to have no sympathy, as he marched forward, not slowing to wait for Harry and Ginny.

They finally reached the gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office, as the door swung open, a broken, hoarse sounding voice asked, "Did you find him, he—we need to find him, he's probably dev—devastated..."

She sounded so heartbroken, hiccupping even, very unlike the Heather they knew.

"We found her." Snape said from the doorway, and immediately all eyes in the room turned towards the door, taking in Harry and the small girl, who standing at his back, was quite looking ashamed.

Molly immediately scooped her into a bone crushing embrace before anything else could be said or done.

Snape took the ruined diary over to the headmaster and handed it to him, whispering furiously. Hardly anyone however paid them any attention at the shock of seeing Ginny.

Mr. Weasley, Ron, Hermione, Heather and Sirius were all hugging Ginny, but throughout this Harry never let go of her hand.

Albus interrupted Molly's as she began to fuss over the pair again, "Perhaps it would be best for Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley to go down to the hospital wing...Severus has told me what happened, and for now I don't need to hear your account Ms. Weasley unless you really want to give it and be done with it. After all that has occurred, I would suggest you go to the infirmary and rest, we can have that discussion later...if that is acceptable to you." He said.

Ginny nodded, adding a shy "Thank you headmaster."

"But Albus—" Molly began to protest, but Dumbledore help up a hand, to stop her protest as he explained, "Severus and I can explain the basic facts to you, and I'm sure Ginevra would be willing to explain everything else once she is properly rested...but for now, both of them need to go to the infirmary."

He looked over to Ginny and Harry who nodded, accepting that it was indeed what they wanted.

She and Harry left for the infirmary. They could hear the barrage of questions that were now being thrown at Dumbledore and Severus as they walked out of the door.

It was deep into the night, well the early morning actually, as they trudged into the infirmary from the deserted halls.

Dumbledore had somehow already informed Madame Promfrey, she was expecting them with her wand ready in hand.

"A basilisk...of all things...what are they thinking..." She muttered under her breath, drawing wry grins between Harry and Ginny as they sat down on the bed for her to examine them.

"You both have severe cases of magical exhaustion—you could've died! I'll—you need..." and without further explanation she went bustling into her store room to get her potions. She returned with several foul tasting potions which she had to practically shove down their throats.

Once done with that, Ginny used the infirmary bathroom to clean herself from all the grime and change, beginning to feel some semblance of normalcy as she was finally clean.

Harry had almost fallen asleep, waiting for her so that he could use the bathroom when she finished.

Clean from all the grime, lying in their neat sleep wear, holding one another's hand, Ginny finally said what had been on her mind.

"I'm so sorry Harry! I—I was so stupid and I—you almost died and it was all my fault—I'm so _sorry_." She said tearfully.

Harry looked over at her stricken face, "Don't be. It was really stupid of you...to write in that...that abomination...Gin—if you'd died, I don't know what I...just don't do something like that again." He began sternly, but fell into a broken voice as he continued.

Ginny was rapidly nodding and refusing to make an eye contact as the tear drops continued to flow down her cheeks.

Sighing he said quietly, "But it's over now. And we're all right. Don't cry anymore about him, he's just not worth it. I think you've been sad enough this year, so let's just put this behind us. I want you to have fun for the rest of your first year."

She nodded, still not really making eye contact as she tried to wipe the tears from her face.

He gave her hand a squeeze, "Just don't ever do anything like that again." He had meant for it to sound authoritative but it just came out sounding more like he was desperate.

She looked over at him, "I won't."

He sighed, giving her a weak smile, before they both fell silent, trying to fall asleep which they soon did.

The next day, Ginny walked in the great hall for breakfast and walked towards the very end of the Slytherin table, where her friends usually sat and asked, "Can I sit with you"?

Surprised, Helen turned around. Helen looked at her for a moment before smiling and replying, "Of course."

Sylvia was less accommodating, pausing, her eggs on her fork as she was about to eat it, she looked up, "Oh, so you finally decided to grace us with your presence now, have you Weasley?"

Ginny blushed, "Look I was—going through some...I'm sorry okay...please forgive me?"

Helen grinned and said she understood. Sylvia took a long time to pretend to think about it before saying gruffly that she supposed it was acceptable.

Breakfast went back to its usual affair, but it was different in a way. Ginny was done being shy, embarrassed, she was tired of having that sick feeling in her heart...being sad. She had done enough moping. She was done worrying that people talked about her and was done trying please everyone. Worrying about all those things after all had almost killed her.

She had perfectly good friends who weren't trying to steal her soul after all.

The next day, she visited Gwen in the hospital, who had recovered from being petrified after some mandrake juice had to be imported from America as all the ones in the green houses weren't mature enough.

Gwen didn't know who had been behind her attack, none of the students did. Dumbledore had advised her not to tell anyone for the misconceptions it might create.

She had listened to his advice although she felt slightly guilty at Gwen's puzzlement about the whole thing. She was surprised to find how much she liked Gwen, when Gwen wasn't trying to terrorize her.

Once recovered from the hospital wing she eventually joined Helen's group, and although Sylvia was none too pleased about this everyone just laughed at her surly mutterings.

Besides, she really did like Gwen well enough even if she wouldn't admit it.

There were nightmares after the chamber, for both Harry and Ginny, but they always comforted each other. It wasn't altogether surprising that theirs nightmares usually ended with the death of the other, but waking up, and seeing the other person alive and breathing beside them did help them to soothe their concerns.

They both knew they were likely to have nightmares for years to come, but they knew it would be alright. They never mentioned the dreams during the day, not even to each other.

Two weeks after the events in the chamber, where she almost died, Ginny was with Heather and Harry.

It was the first time she had really talked to Heather since the entire ordeal, who decided to break the ice with her usual mannerisms.

"Don't ever do that again. I had to thank Snape! _Thank _him Ginny! I'm scarred eternally…I don't know if I can live with it now!"

Harry had lost all the color in his face on hearing this and had sent Heather a scandalized look before he realized that Ginny was laughing and hardly traumatized by Heather's casual mention of the the chamber.

She wasn't crying or petrified from the untactful reminder. He couldn't help it though as he glared at his sister a little longer.

Ginny continued laughing for a little longer than the joke merited.

But Harry and Heather just laughed with her. After all the stress of recent events of the recent past, some hysterical and irrational laughter was needed.

"Sorry Heather, next time when I need someone to save me, I'll make sure that Snape stays away."

"Good." Heather nodded.

"Speaking of the devil..." Harry said looking over Ginny's shoulder where Snape was walking toward them, sweeping across the floor in billowing black robes.

"Ms. Weasley, I suppose you have had enough time to recover but now that you are well and back to your normal health, you will be serving detention with me Thursday night." He said in his usual dramatic voice which he tended to address students with.

"Why—" Ginny began to ask bewildered, she had turned in her potions assignment that morning, hadn't she?

"You set a fifty foot basilisk on the school so be thankful that I am just giving you one day's worth of detention. If I had my way you would be spending everyday of your remaining term in my office."

He said dryly.

She opened her mouth to protest but he interrupted her, "Thursday night, six o'clock sharp." before striding away without waiting for her to respond.

"I can't believe he did that." Harry said.

"I really thought he was trying to turn over a new leaf with the whole saving thing." Ginny agreed still staring at the departing Snape.

"Well I can." Heather said.

They both turned back towards her to see her eyebrows raised and her hand placed on her hips.

"Look—just because I have been forced to admit that deep down, very deep down, like way,_way deep_—"

"We got it—deep down." Ginny muttered but Heather chose to ignore her.

"Just extremely deep down, Snape is—sort of—an okay bloke. It doesn't mean that I expect him to join a convent and prance around singing 'Joy to the World'."

_**End of Year One**_

**Please, please review!**

**And thank you so much to everyone who reviewed last chapter, **

**your support means so much.**

**And Thank you to Melginnylover for an amazing job beta reading. **


	19. Chapter 19

**IMPORTANT—Normally I leave Author's notes for the end of the chapter. But so many of you had some questions that I feel desperately need to be cleared up before we continue that—here it is. **

**Q: Why was a 21 year old Harry such a wimp that Snape had to come save him?**

**A: Okay, Harry in this story is actually a more trained wizard obviously than cannon Harry as he is older and he has been through auror training and having been raised by Sirius and homeschool by him, Remus and partly Dumbledore and occasionally Mad-eye, he is significantly more trained, that being said—had he not been dying he would have destroyed the basilisk. **

**I think many of you mistook all of my talk about physical pain for him in the last chapter as his grief and worry for Ginny, partly it was. Some of it really was just the emotional pain he felt at the thought of loosing her. **

**A lot of it though was because with them being soul bonded and her soul being taken by Tom Riddle, Harry was also being drained. Had there been no basilisk coming after them, the scene where Harry drops to his knees and gives up, he still would have been dying Basilisk or not. And that's why he says that if Ginny dies, he'll die, it's not just from the grief although that is a part of it, it is largely because he would have**** literally**** died had Tom been successful. **

**When Madam Promfrey says they both have severe magical exhaustion, well all Harry did was a few blasting hexes and Ginny really didn't do any magic, the reason their magical cores are depleted is from Tom feeding off of them. Harry in this story is very powerful, and while maybe not quite has battle hardened as cannon Harry because thus far he hasn't had has hard of a life, he is actually far more adept with magic from his more extensive training and greater age.**

**Q: Why didn't Harry and Ginny have more of a heart to heart after the chamber?**

**A: It's still Harry even if he's older and has a AU background, he doesn't like to talk about feelings. They will in the future have more deep conversations, but right now Ginny is eleven and awkward, and even though Harry is twenty one, he has still had a very isolated life, he isn't good at dealing with those things either. **

**Sorry for the huge author's note, but I really wanted to clear the air. If that did not answer anyone's questions please let me know in a review or PM me and I will try to explain. **

**Other thing before we begin, no romance still until seventeen! Any thoughts of Ginny's otherwise doesn't mean it will happen, and at this point with her only being fourteen if definitely doesn't mean Harry feels the same way. **

**Other note, sometimes in this fourth year segment, Ginny will be a little bitchy and arrogant sometimes. But, she is only fourteen and it is a phase that she will grow out of, just like she has now grown out of being an extremely emotional eleven year old with no confidence. Give her the benefit of the doubt, fourteen is still very young and it is easy to let popularity, a good brain, and good looks inflate one's ego a little bit and make her sometimes insensitive. She is still a good person, just an immature one. **

**Three Years Later**

Platform nine and three quarters was always hectic on September first every year from the early morning hours until the climax at eleven o'clock before the exodus of sobbing mothers and contemplative fathers left for their various vehicles, magical or otherwise.

Molly Weasley was no different.

"Oh my baby, off to your _fourth year _already!" She cried, hugging Ginny tightly who awkwardly patter her on the back wondering if anyone else was noticing the spectacle.

She glared at her brothers murderously over her mother's shoulders as they all sniggered at her. She and Heather shared an eye-roll at Molly's over the top emotions. Hermione shook her head at both of them. A hand resting on her pregnant stomach where her wedding ring glinted.

"Now promise me you'll write home this year...yes?" Molly asked intently, pulling back to look into her daughter's face. Putting on an innocent smile that made her mother still believe she was an angel despite many detentions and proclamations from other's that said otherwise, Ginny replied sweetly, "Of course Mum."

And she meant it, she really would try to write more that year.

She flicked her red hair over her shoulder, running a hand through it, it was long and thick having grown down to slightly past the middle of her back. She was thinking about growing it all the way to her waist but thought that might be a little long.

"Mum—Mum, I need—I need to get on the train now," Ginny tried to pry her mother of of her, as she continued to cling.

"No—really Mum, they won't hold the express for me." She said.

Fred and George finally catching her pleading looks came and each took one of Molly's arms, "Come now Mum—you still have us..."

"Your favorite children," George continued.

"Who will come visit you everyday if you like." Fred added.

"Yeah, really we need our laundry done, smelled myself the other day—_whew_. And here I thought our customers just were obsessive about their personal space." George shook his head.

Molly sighed and stepped back smiling at Ginny, "You've grown into such a beautiful young girl Ginny-love," she said.

"Do write this year...yes?" She repeated. With one final nod and another hug and the aid of her brother's to restrain Molly, Ginny finally after some quick words with Arthur was able to get on the train which at this point was already leaving the station.

Ginny jostled her way through to crowd to the back where she knew Gwen had found a compartment.

"Ginny!" Helen rose from her seat and grabbed her into a tight hug.

Sylvia and Gwen reacted with similar enthusiasm.

Sylvia just sat there and muttered, "You knew she was coming; I don't see what all the fuss is about...we just saw her last week...it's not like it's a _shocker._"

They all just rolled their eyes and smiled at her though.

What made Ginny uncomfortable was the enthusiastic greeting she received from Will.

Will and Greg were also sharing a compartment with them, they had all become good friends and the two boys even wrote to her over the last two summers.

However lately Will had become more...Ginny suspected he fancied her. She often chastised herself that she was just being conceited for thinking it, but nevertheless...the way he had especially been brining up the hogsmeade trip lately even though it wasn't for yet another month also made her uncomfortable.

She hoped he wouldn't gather the courage to ask her, she would of course refuse and then it would just be awkward.

During her musings Ginny never noticed the resentful and jealous looks Greg sent Will as he welcomed the redhead into the compartment.

Nor the hurt that appeared on Helen's face as she noticed this.

"Alright, alright," Ginny said, puling herself away to sit down.

Se placed her bag beside her that she had brought to finish her summer essays on the train ride.

Gwen had had her hair cut that summer to right below her chin, that discussion lasted a few minutes before Helen mentioned thinking about cutting her shoulder length hair the same way. Another brief conversation was spent dissuading her from that before the small talk moved to Ginny's hair.

"Did you get highlights in your hair?" Gwen asked.

"No I just spent a lot of time outside—quidditch and all." Ginny answered back as they all found themselves in small talk.

"It looks really good, a lot of gold in it!" Susan said excitedly. Susan since becoming more bold was simply a ray of sunshine almost all the time, a near opposite to Sylvia.

Gwen nodded with a polite smile, she still sometimes found herself being derogatory towards Susan out of years of habit, but she generally always stopped herself.

Susan didn't help matters much as her bubbly personality unlike Helen, also came with quite a bit of ditziness that often annoyed Gwen tremendously. Sylvia just ignored it at this point.

Ginny often wondered how it was possible for Susan to have been sorted into Slytherin.

A somewhat awkward silence fell among the friends, there wasn't much to talk about. Even in the way of gossip Helen didn't have much to say, something rare.

"How was your trip this summer?" Ginny asked Gwen who had gone to Italy with her Great Uncle that was now her guardian after her parents disowned her. Her Great Uncle, Charles, had been disowned as well for marrying a muggle, his wife however had tragically died from some disease that he didn't like to talk about many, many years before.

The old widower however had proved a good guardian for Gwen, if a little eccentric.

Gwen explained where exactly in Italy they had gone, going into further detail than she had in her letters.

Unfortunately when Gwen was finished, Will in all of his subtly, brought up something Ginny was desperately hoping to avoid discussing with him.

"So—everyone looking forward to the next hogsmeade trip?"

Ginny had to use most of her self control to keep herself from groaning, would he seriously take no hints?

"Not really, I'm not sure if I'll go." Ginny tried to say nonchalantly.

His face abruptly fell, "Why?" He asked vehemently, before catching himself and sitting back in his seat to rephrase in a much more blase tone, "I mean, why wouldn't you?"

She shrugged, flipping though a quidditch magazine, "Oh, the novelty has just kind of worn of at this point."

"I completely agree, only the third years really make a fuss out of Hosgmeade." He rolled his eyes, shaking his head—his tone clearly showing how ridiculous he thought said third years to be even though he himself was only two years older than them as a fifth year.

Sylvia looked over at him from her book, her glasses slipping down her nose as she said incredulously, "You've been talking about it incessantly for a month now!"

Greg began to snigger.

"I have not!" He said, sounding scandalized, a blush filling his cheeks for being called out.

Will really was rather good looking, half the girls in Hogwarts fancied him and the other half even had to admit he was easy on the eyes. Sylvia however was not one of those girls and therefore would not end her parade of pointing out just exactly how obvious and laughable his sudden change of opinion was alongside his superior attitude towards the third years.

By the end of it, Will did not speak of Hogsmeade in any kind of mention for the next six hours of the train ride.

"I hope the homework this years not too bad," Susan said a few hours later.

"It shouldn't be, I mean Wills the one who's life will cease to exist outside the library this year." Greg laughed.

"Yeah, I'm so glad we're not fifth years yet!" Ginny agreed.

Greg sent her a smile that lasted far too long, but reading her potions text, she didn't notice.

The train arrived soon enough and they were off, trudging through the rain into the carriages where once there Ginny quickly performed a drying charm, helping Susan who struggled with it and had equally long hair as Ginny, that was now soaked from the rain water.

Ginny had become a brilliant charms student, she was generally a good student in all of her subjects, particularly defense against the dark arts as she did take a somewhat vindictive pleasure in hexing others, but while intelligent not a Hermione as she never had the ambition to put the hours of homework Hermione had. Which made her wonder how she was a Slytherin and Hermione wasn't.

Ginny practiced more along the lines of, as long as she could perform the spell, who really cared what mark she received on the theory essay? Something Hermione had repeatedly, without success tried to correct.

"Did you see Alexandra Worchester is dating Thomas Sawyer now?" Susan asked as they sat down.

Gwen grimaced at her the mention of her former child hood friends.

Sylvia just had a look of utmost distaste on her face, "Well as interesting as that is..." She trailed off.

Will was smiling at them from the Ravenclaw table, something which made Susan blush terribly.

Susan had grown into a beautiful girl, the only one, who Ginny sometimes thought a little jealously, prettier than her.

Although she knew it was conceited, Ginny did consider herself very pretty.

How could she not after the attention she had gotten even as a third year?

It would be false modesty for her now to try and downplay her looks, but she did try to restrain her vanity even though it did get away from her at times.

However clearly her looks at no effect at all on one particular person...

She thought bitterly, she could have just about any boy in Hogwarts except him.

She knew she was just fourteen and all of the adults said she was still a child; she of course had very different opinions but of course no one ever seemed to listen to her.

"John Reynolds is looking at you again," Gwen said dully.

Ginny didn't bother to look at him, he was a Slytherin in their year that had carried a crush on her since last year.

It was really just awkward.

Sometimes she felt guilty, she wanted these boys to like her. She tried to tell herself she didn't, but she did. The attention made her feel special, and although she knew she would never return their feelings, there was still a very large part of her that wanted their attentions.

She didn't think about that very often though, it made her feel badly about herself.

"Are the first years going to be sorted sometime this year?" asked Sylvia, has she cleaned the lenses of her still square framed glasses on her robes.

Gwen shrugged, Helen was too busy looking across the hall at Greg who was laughing at something to respond.

Twirling some of her hair around her finger, Ginny looked up to the staff table.

Heather sat, for the last year, beside Sirius again. This was her final year of her mastery program and she would be leaving afterwards to travel for a while.

Sirius was looking very disturbingly at Professor Trelawney, who had actually ventured down into the hall for the feast for what may have been the first time in her career.

And Harry...he was talking to Snape.

Ginny seemed to constantly find a pause in her thoughts when she looked at him in the past year or so.

It was bloody annoying.

It had ruined her conversations with him for a good two months in her third year before she pulled herself together.

And embarrassingly, Harry thinking something was wrong with her again after the nightmare of her first year, wrote her mother about it he was so worried.

She then received a very long letter from her mother who had been able to discern the truth, about how it was only natural, and not to worry about it but to simply put it out of her mind for the next ten years.

Easier said than done however when one look into those green eyes...

She shook off that train of thought.

When she had told Heather that, the older girl had laughed so hard she had almost fallen out of her chair...she had stopped confiding in Heather a great deal after that.

Although that still wasn't as embarrassing as the 'near death' incident.

Her mother, in her denial that Ginny was still a little girl, had forgotten to impart some rather important facts to Ginny before her second year.

And towards the end of her second year, Ginny had gone panicking and running to Harry, telling him she was dying.

Harry, also panicking, had asked her how and she had told him she was bleeding.

Looking at her suspiciously, not seeing any blood, Harry had asked her where.

Through some vague hand gestures during the panic she had been able to convey her point, at which time Harry turned beet red and escorted her to Heather without saying a word.

Heather, of course, had laughed.

Ginny still blushed when she thought about it, she was really hoping she could avoid any such incident this year.

"Douglas, Mark."

A pause, and several yawns among older students with some excited muttering between first years also taking place.

"HUFFLEPUFF."

"Oh finally we can eat!" said Gwen exasperatedly.

Sylvia raised an eyebrow, "You know, for a girl from an old pureblooded family who teach their women to eat daintily—you sure do have an appetite."

Gwen shrugged, "Me, look at Ginny, she eats enough for three grown men. I don't know how she's so thin!"

"Some people are just born to be good looking," Ginny said mockingly, smiling with her mouth full to further exemplify her bad manners.

"Do you know anyone like that?" Sylvia asked Ginny dryly, laughing at the jesting offended look Ginny sent her.

Gwen rolled her eyes while Susan began seriously, "Well it's all about genetics...we study this in muggle school—you see if your parents have certain genes then they pass on these—"

"She was joking Susie..." Helen inserted helpfully.

"Oh." Susan said, unabashed and going back to her meal, which was dainty as Gwen's and Ginny's should have been by the old ways.

Helen however wasn't eating much either, barely picking at her food.

"Not hungry?" Gwen asked.

She just sighed, "Just..." She shrugged.

Gwen nodded as if it made perfect sense after that explanation, and catching each other's bewildered eyes, Sylvia and Ginny giggled at their friend's communication.

"...The list of the banned items can be found on Mr. Filch's office..."

Ginny began to nod off, her head dropping into her hand she was resting it on. A nice warm bed sounded so tempting, if only Dumbledore would finish his speech already!

Surely everyone obviously knew all of this by now, and it wasn't as if anyone but the Ravenclaw first years, and that one prefect who tried to give her detention for not having her shirt tucked in, were even listening.

"...Off to bed." He finally was done.

Yawning and stretching as she rose, Ginny had to shake her head slightly as Will's, John Reynold's and a few other boy's eyes followed her. They didn't even know her.

All they liked her for, she thought to herself sardonically, was a little extra development many of the other girls, even some of the older ones, didn't seem to have.

"Are you going to try out for Quidditch this year still?" Gwen asked as they made their way to the common room.

"Yeah, I mean—really it's about time a girl played for Slytherin, don't y'think?" Ginny asked.

Gwen nodded, "I just mean—will it be okay with your...illness and all?"

Ginny caught herself right before she asked 'what illness,' and replied, "Yeah, as long as I get my treatments," she nodded seriously, patting herself on the back for her acting.

Gwen looked at her sympathetically, if she only knew the truth...

Ginny this year had the head girl's dorm all to herself as she had since Katherine graduated, it seemed to her Ravenclaw seemed to be the most popular house for the title.

She was making her way to her room when she was stopped by none other than John Reynolds.

"Ginevra!" he said brightly, more proof to how little he really knew her.

"It's just Ginny," she said somewhat irritably, she was so tired.

And Harry, paranoid since her first year, would come looking if she was terribly late.

"Oh..." His face fell for a moment before he seemed to rebound, smiling as brightly as before.

He wasn't really the best looking, somewhat plain with his dull features, he was just pleasant but not really dashing.

Still, he his family had a good status in the wizarding world, something which amongst other Slytherin girls, garnered him plenty of attention.

"So are you looking forward to the next Hogsmeade trip?" He asked.

She frowned, really, that wasn't for a month?

"Um...I suppose." She said evenly, her left foot almost involuntarily sneaking towards her room.

"Well...I was thinking that maybe...we could go together?" He said hopefully.

She stared at him for a moment, yes she had been aware of his persistent staring since the middle of the second term last year, but they still had maybe had a total of six conversations.

What on earth possessed him to do this?

"I'm not really sure if I'm going to go..." She said finally after racking her brain for possible excuses.

"Oh...Oh..." She began to turn away just wanting to escape, but apparently he was still not finished.

"Well we could just hang out around the castle?"

She held in a sigh of annoyance, before a stoke of brilliance came to her.

Putting on her best sad face she said drearily, "Well you see, I think I might be going to St. Mungo's for my..._illness_ that weekend...so...I probably won't..." She pretended to be choked up, putting a hand on her mouth and blinking her eyes as if they had tears in them.

He looked horrified, "I'm—I'm so sorry...I didn't know you left Hogwarts for treatment...um...I'm really sorry...merlin...well maybe some other time?"

Thinking about Gwenog, her kitten she had gotten for her fifth birthday who had died shortly afterwards, Ginny tried to remember the sad feeling to see if she could produce a few tears.

Apparently after almost ten years poor Gwenog's demise wasn't sad enough to produce waterworks, which disappointed Ginny as she thought that really would have topped off the performance.

However, lowering her eyes slightly and speaking a rough voice, with the occasional sniffle, she went on.

"I just don't know...I mean...my illness...it's really serious—I don't think," She took a dramatic sigh, "I think I'll be mostly just really busy with that...I'm just so ill...some days I worry—y'know; will I survive?" She asked, looking at him seriously, well not really but it appeared that way to him.

She had to hold in the laughter at the panicked look on his face.

"Right, well, nice seeing you Ginevra—I mean Ginny, um...I need to go...do my homework?" He asked like a question before rushing off.

"But it's the first day of school!" She cried after him, barely holding in the laughter.

Well, she thought, she didn't really feel that guilt, after all it really was her _illness _per say, even if said disease actually had black hair and green eyes instead of some strange problem with her health that people believed to be the case of where she went at nights.

It really was hardly a lie, she thought with a grin.

**Please, please review. **

**Especially any unanswered questions, I'm always happy to discuss any questions/comments or concerns. **


	20. Chapter 20

"Looks like last years stalkers haven't given up on Ginny," Heather laughed, turning to Sirius at breakfast.

"Yeah, poor girl gets harassed..."

"What do you mean?" Asked Harry, listening to their conversation from a few seats away.

"Oh—that Will Mason bloke is still smitten with her apparently, look he's even trying to sit at the Slytherin table..." Heather was laughing again.

Harry looked over to the Slytherin table where some blonde boy was trying to sit beside a blushing, clearly uncomfortable and embarrassed Ginny while the rest of the table glared at him.

"What d'you mean smitten?" He asked abruptly.

"I don't know Harry, what does smitten usually mean?" Sirius asked sarcastically.

Harry ignored him, "He probably just wants help with some home work in his first class, Ginny is such a smart student..." He said proudly.

Heather rolled her eyes, "Yes, that _must _be it..."

Harry looked back to where Will had squeezed himself between Sylvia and Ginny. Ginny who was scooting so far to the other end that was almost falling off the bench.

"Ginny's too young...no one her age is interested in dating..." He said, like it was obvious.

"You do know she was asked out a couple time last year right? She said no, of course, but she was asked." Heather said, eyebrow raised.

Harry almost spat out his pumpkin juice, "What?"

"But she—but..she was only thirteen last year...she's only fourteen now!" He yelped.

Sirius looked at him, "Do you remember being a fourteen year old boy?"

"Well he was a weird kid..." Heather said by way of explanation.

"True." Sirius shrugged.

Harry hadn't been listening to them, "She is way too young...I can't believe..."

"You do realize Harry that just because she's ten years younger than you doesn't mean she's ten years younger then everybody, right?" Sirius asked him.

Harry scowled at him, "Oh don't worry, it's not like she's going to break up with you or anything. She magically can't." Heather said grinning.

Harry sent her a rude hand gesture.

"Mr. Potter!"

He cringed, "Yes Professor?"

McGonagall looked scandalize, "Of all the...and here I thought it was just Heather...Lily must be rolling in her..." She muttered before composing herself.

"Do control yourself, there are students present," she said strictly.

She turned away before looking back to add, "And Ms. Potter, do not be such a poor influence on your brother!"

Heather shook her head, "Even when it's you I still get blamed! How is that fair?" She asked Sirius.

Harry however was still on his own tangent, "I'm just looking out for her...she's like my little sister...the sister I always actually wanted." He said sending Heather a pointed look.

"If she had grown up with you she wouldn't like you either Harry." He rolled his eyes and they smiled at one another, actually very close as siblings went.

"Anyways, I think I'll have to speak with her about this...she is just too young..."

"You mean not old enough for you..." Sirius asked with a smirk.

"I mean too young." Harry said irritably.

"Well if it makes you feel better, I don't think she really likes Mason particularly much."

And looking out into the hall, Harry saw that she was right.

Ginny was looking at Will Mason with an annoyance written across her features that the oblivious boy seemed to completely not take note of.

"No—she doesn't seem to." Harry agreed, rather happily.

"No...um—thank you Will but I have to...I really need to go to class and I um..."

Ginny said, trying to escape.

"Oh, well I'll walk you there." Will said with a bright smile.

Gritting her teeth and telling herself it was necessary, Ginny sighed and prepared herself to embarrass herself.

"I'm really going back to the dorms, so...that's okay." She said, hoping he would take the hint.

"Oh, well I can walk you there too you y'know. It's not like I don't know where they are, you Slytherins aren't that good of secret keepers." He laughed at his own joke, oblivious to the glares he was receiving from the Slytherins.

Ginny bit her lip, she was really hoping he would have dropped it after she told him she going to her room, but he was going to make her say it.

Still, it would be worth the humiliation to get rid of him.

"You see Will...the thing is..it's—" She dropped her voice, not acting as she really didn't want many people to hear this.

"—it's _that _time of the month for me...so I really just—" She was interrupted, her plan having gone perfectly.

Gwen shook her head at her, knowing full well she was lying.

"Oh, _oh..._yeah, um you just go on ahead..I...well...bye then." He abruptly left back for the Ravenclaw table.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ginny went to sit back down at the table.

"Wait, aren't you going to the dorms?" Susan asked.

Ginny snorted, "No."

"Susan it's not actually _that _time, I was just wanted him to go away." She continued, running a hand through her hair and flicking it over her shoulder.

Gwen looked over at her, "He'll know you're lying then?" She asked questioningly.

"I don't really care if he does...besides I think he'll be too embarrassed to look over here for another month hopefully."

"Well if he had good timing he would actually wait more than an exact month according to what you told him..." Helen laughed.

They all giggled, "He's a boy, he'll be back in a month. You can tell him the same thing." Sylvia rolled her eyes.

"Probably..." Gwen nodded.

They all laughed as they made their way to transfiguration

School was uneventful, Ginny was the first one to master the summoning charm in Flitwick's class. Something that put a rather smug grin on Ginny's face and annoyed Sylvia to no end as she didn't achieve it during class and had homework for it.

Later Greg offered to help Sylvia with it, but being the independent sort she was she brusquely told him 'no thank you.'

They were on their way to Potions when they heard some of the Gryffindor girls conversation.

In Gryffindor there were six girls in their year, four of which were decent that Ginny and her friends didn't mind. Two of which they considered complete air-heads, these were those two.

"Oh I wish we could just drop potions already!" Jordan Cross whined.

She had such a shrill voice, Ginny thought.

"Me too." Of course Violet Hemmingway was always sympathetic. She and Jordan were rarely seen without each other.

"Hmm, wish Snape would take a shower!" Jordan added.

"I _know_, I mean did you see his hair at breakfast! Really, didn't anyone teach him hygiene?"

It bothered her more when they did it than Heather, perhaps because Heather was more original or maybe just because Heather was Heather, but with these girls she found herself distinctly annoyed on her head of houses behalf.

He had saved her life after all. _And Harry's _her mind added.

Unfortunately the girl's in front of them seemed to also be thinking about Harry.

"Wish we had defense today!"

"I know, we won't get to see Professor Potter for a whole two days!" Jordan said as if the world was ending for it.

Ginny crossed her arms as she walked, unaware of the strange looks she was receiving from Gwen for her glaring at them so vehemently.

"He's so..." Violet laughed.

"Fancy-able?" Jordan asked with a grin.

"I don't think that's a word!" Violet said.

"Well, they should invent it just for him then." Jordan giggled.

"Well, I didn't really understand the summer homework, I think I'll go into tutorials."

Violet said conspiratorially.

"Wait—you told me this morning that the summer homework was easy?" Jordan asked.

"Well it was...but Harry doesn't know that." Violet laughed.

"But he does know you're a stupid bimbo, I mean how could he not after it took you until halfway through our second year to master expelliarmus?" Ginny finally cut in spitefully from behind them, too irritated to hold it in any longer. She felt irrationally mad at these girls.

Violet blushed, ashamed of what Ginny had said, she had after all almost failed her first year defense, potions, and transfiguration. Some where in the back of her mind Ginny felt guilty for being so cruel.

Violet glared, "Just because you...you're just a whore you know that!" She said, coming up with the only insult she could think of.

"Oh please, we both know I have turned down all the offers...I'm hardly a whore...you on the other hand." Ginny surveyed the other girl. "But I suppose I do actually get offers." Ginny said rudely.

Both girls looked at her nastily, "The sorting hat must have known about your nasty nature...that's why it put you in Slytherin." Jordan said airily, thinking she had said something clever.

"Oh, I'm so _wounded_," Ginny said sarcastically, putting her hand over her heart.

"Do you still like nature; despite what it did to you?" She asked, referring to their looks.

"Maybe someday you'll learn to be worthwhile person—"

Ginny interrupted Violet, "I think you're mistaking me with someone that gives a damn about your opinion." She said sharply.

Jordan finally just grabbed Violet's arm pulled her away.

Ginny turned to see her friends, almost all of which were looking at her with raised eye-brows, except for Susan who was humming and looking out of the window.

"Ginny—that was a bit uncalled for, don't you think?" Helen asked.

"Seriously Gin, no need to be such a bitch. I know they're annoying but..." Sylvia trailed off.

Gwen just shrugged, "Who really cares, they're Gryffindors."

"Now wait one moment, you think Elizabeth Piatt is alright and she's a Gryffindor." Helen pointed out.

"Yeah, and so is Debrah Waters." Sylvia added.

Gwen shrugged again, "Well...some of them are okay...but come on, Cross and Hemmingway—they're idiots."

"True." Ginny agreed.

They started walking again towards potions.

"Yeah, but exactly, they're not really the brightest but what did they ever do to you Gin? I mean, they're not really nice to you or anything but they've never gone out of their way to be mean! There was no need for you to be so...you were really a bitch to her! You know she has got to be embarrassed about almost failing!" Helen said, looking at Ginny intently.

Ginny shrugged, she didn't want to feel guilty and she was determined to stay in self denial and not let Helen make her think about it.

"It's my time of the month, I'm allowed to be a little snarky." Ginny said grinning at her own wit. Gwen laughed.

Helen however just threw her a disapproving look, muttering, "You keep telling so many lies and pretty soon, you won't even know what's the truth."

Before Ginny could respond Sylvia ushered everyone onward, "Oh, come on—we're going to be late to potions!"

Walking to dinner that night by herself, having gone back to her dorm room to put away her things. Her friends, all eager to get ahead in their studies and Susan who just didn't want to be left behind, had all gone to the library.

She felt a brief flash of amusement, that she knew wasn't coming from her as she was simply walking through the halls by herself.

It was the bond again.

During her second year, she would sometimes get flashes of emotions that made absolutely no sense, the same was happening to Harry.

After a while it had become to strange to ignore, they spoke to the headmaster who told them their bond must be growing.

He wasn't sure how much their bond would grow, for all they knew the most they would ever be able to do with it was what they already could. Each case was individual after all.

Every now and then they would each feel emotions, that didn't belong, because they weren't their own.

Then last year they had found that occasionally, briefly they would see through one another's eyes.

The first occasion having been very embarrassing as Harry had been changing.

This also happened randomly, beyond their control, and seemed to of little use.

But when they had told Albus he had been delighted, very optimistic about the bond expanding.

Ginny wasn't so thrilled with either, worrying that one day, particularly when they traded feelings, he would discover some of the embarrassing ones she tried to hide from him.

Dinner was also uneventful, still stung from earlier, Will thankfully stayed at the Ravenclaw table. Something Ginny was extremely grateful for.

"Dammit!" said Ginny, slapping herself in the forehead lightly.

"What?" Gwen asked, casually.

"I forgot to turn in my bloody summer essay for Trans!" She said angrily.

Helen sent her a sympathetic look while Gwen shook her head, "I did remind you."

Ginny looked up toward the staff table, happy to see Heather's vacant chair.

"I'll just go get it now, I bet Heathers in there, she won't say anything..." Ginny said rising from the table and making her way back again to the Slytherin dorms.

As she approached the Transfiguration class room however she stopped outside the doorway, about to knock but then staying her hand to eavesdrop on the loud conversation taking place inside.

"Not up to standards? McGonagalls been teaching since before your grandfather went here you idiot!"

"Well, Potter, in my professional—" A snide voice began to say.

"What professional is in here? I don't see one anywhere? Do you Malfoy?" Heather asked rudely.

"You should really learn to respect your betters Potter." He replied coldly.

"Well—if you see one of them, or a professional, let me know."

"In my knowledge—"

"—Oh, your knowledge? Let's hear it then, tell me everything you know. It'll only take a minute anyway!"

Ginny then had to quickly jump out of the doorway to avoid being knocked over by Malfoy who was storming out of the class room.

She walked in a moment later to see Heather with sitting at her desk, with her glasses on grading papers.

"Don''t act like you weren't listening at the doorway, because I know you were." Heather said.

Ginny opened her mouth to speak but fell silent, just shrugging instead as there was no use denying it.

"What was that about anyway," she asked, as she sat down, covertly sticking her essay in with the ones that had been turned in that morning.

"I saw that." Heather muttered.

Ginny didn't say anything again, still waiting for an explanation.

"He was just being an ass about the sixth year curriculum, I designed it this year as part of my mastery...so of course he'll knock it."

"Sounds like him." Ginny nodded.

Heather looked up at her then seriously, "I do want you to be careful this year though...I think he's up to something."

"Heather—you _always_ think Malfoy's up to something." Ginny rolled her eyes.

Heather shook her head, unusually solemn, "I mean it Gin. Be careful, he's been up here this summer way more than usual, and...I can just tell. Be on your guard."

A little spooked by the normally so carefree girl's dour tone, Ginny just nodded.

"I still think you're being a bit paranoid." She said quietly on her way out.

That night as she lay in bed she replayed the events to Harry.

"Well, it is Heather...she is constantly plotting Malfoy's demise." He said sagely.

"Really Harry—I don't think anyone '_plots someone's demise_,' they haven't since the eighteen hundreds...you and your word usage sometimes." She shook her head.

Harry ignored her comment continuing, "I wouldn't worry too much about it...but y'know, do be careful." He added cautiously, still paranoid about the chamber.

She rolled her eyes.

They laid there for a moment in companionable silence before Harry stated speaking again.

"Heather told me something today." He said abruptly.

Ginny waited for him to go on and when he didn't asked, "And?"

"Um..." He sounded uncomfortable.

"Yes?" Ginny asked, a bit irritated wondering why he was making her drag this out of him.

"She said that...that last year...and this year...she said...some..."

"What?" Ginny asked a bit snappily.

"Never mind." He mumbled quickly.

"Never mind?" She asked incredulously.

"I don't really want to talk about it." He muttered.

"Then why did you bring, whatever it is, up?" Ginny asked exasperatedly.

"Well I did want to but..."

"Yes?" She asked.

"I changed my mind, good night." He stuttered.

"_Whatever_." Ginny mumbled before falling asleep.

**Please review for a quick updates to continue!**

**Just to be clear, in the conversation that just happened what Harry was going to talk about was just to tell her he thinks she is too young to date and agrees with her refusing her dates last year. He then chickened out not really wanting to broach the subject. **

**Like I said, there will be no romance until she is seventeen. At fourteen it is just still too inappropriate. **


	21. Chapter 21

**Happy birthday to Dahlia Avers, I realize this chapter is a little late, I really wanted to post it on your birthday and when I read your review on my phone but then I had major computer issues. **

**Harry is not working as an official auror in any capacity, he hasn't since Ginny's first year of school. He's simply the assistant Defense Professor, Dumbledore gave him the job to make it easier on he and Ginny. So hopefully that clears up the questions on his job. **

**Always feel free to ask any questions or voice any concerns. **

Harry threw himself besides his sister in an empty seat in the Great Hall, they were the only two staff members present, so he didn't feel the need to sit straightly.

He slouched down in his chair, Heather shot him an amused glance, "Good thing McGonagalls not here."

Harry chuckled and imitated the scottish woman's voice, "Sit up! If you don't respect yourself enough to have some posture how will anyone respect you?"

Heather joined him in laughing as he reached forward to grab a piece of toast, yanking a bite out of it.

It was a nice morning, and for that he was glad since today were Ginny's Quidditch tryouts. He was watching a cloud move slowly outside the window when he turned it his head to find Ginny.

She was always so easy to spot at the Slytherin table with her unique, tomato red head of hair. She was sitting besides Gwen and...

"He's over there _again_!" Harry said, looking out into the hall to see Will Mason once again trying to squeeze himself in between Ginny and Gwen. He abruptly sat up, crossing his arms over his chest.

Heather shrugged glancing at him from behind her travel book, "He had the letters GW traced all over his transfiguration essay."

Harry looked very annoyed by that. "That's just—that's obsessive. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets violent when she refuses him."

Heather laughed at him, "He's a Ravenclaw Harry. They don't do violent."

Harry shook his head, "I just don't think it's healthy is all."

Heather who was now staring at the boy to see what Harry had been talking about. Will was just swinging his arm to put it around a clearly uncomfortable Ginny when he suddenly sprouted many nasty looking boils on his face.

The Slytherins quickly noticed and pointed it out to their class mates until the entire table was grinning at him.

This caused him, after being told by Gwen exactly what it was everyone was laughing at, to flee the hall.

Heather turned to see her brother pocketing his wand with a smirk plastered on his face. He seemed oblivious to the fact she was now looking at him.

"I saw that." She said, raising an eyebrow.

Harry turned, startled, thinking she had still been distracted.

"Saw what?" He asked innocently, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice has he slouched back to his previous posture in the chair.

She raised her eyebrow even higher, mimicking him by taking a sip of her pumpkin juice.

There was a moment of silence as they stared one another down.

"What—it's Quidditch tryouts today! She doesn't need to be bothered!" Harry said defensively, breaking the quiet.

"Yes of course..._no one_ could fault your logic...and McGonagall thinks I'm bad!"

The first month of school passed quickly and uneventfully for Ginny.

Soon, it was Quidditch time is she wanted to play for Slytherin.

Ginny sat at breakfast, eating her usually large meal. She figured that eating less wouldn't really help her nerves so she might has well not be hungry.

Eating quickly and not wanting to talk very much, Ginny was thankful that her friends understood and didn't badger her.

She didn't stay for a long breakfast.

She drummed her fingers on her Nimbus 2003, the broom Harry had gotten her for Christmas two years ago.

She was happy she had decided to come to the field early, to give her some time by herself to fly a bit. The weather was clear and nice, with the first real cool breezes of fall that gave the air such a crisp taste.

She tossed her old quaffle from hand to hand, swinging it around her back and throwing it to fly and catch it herself.

However, time always went fast when she was in the air and soon the boys began to enter the pitch for try outs.

"Weasley, we're having Quidditch tryouts today—you'll have to go fly somewhere else." Perkins, a fifth year boy told her dismissively. He had always been rude but Ginny had never had very many dealings with him. He came from a middle class family, but was pureblooded making him one of the stragglers that was neither exclusively in the in-group of pure-bloods nor completely out of it.

"I know." Ginny responded. Landing lightly on her feet and standing with her broom in hand, waiting for the captain.

Perkins gave her a strange look but didn't say anything further.

Soon there were a lot more boys than just Perkins, most of them muttering about her. Some clearly saying loud comments that were not polite.

"All right—shut up you lot!" The Captain, Clifford Collins yelled as he walked onto the pitch, lugging the crate of balls with him. He himself was a pureblood, from an old family on his mother's side but a lesser one from his father's. However he was still recognized enough to have been afforded Captain, something one would have to be in the right crowd to achieve for the green and silver.

Everyone fell silent. Clifford looked around approvingly, his eyes lingering slightly on Ginny but he didn't comment. For that she was thankful.

"I expect the utmost effort and concentration while you on this pitch, if anyone here is incapable of that, leave now. I book no complaints, if anyone here has any, leave now. And my word is the final law, if any of you cannot abide by that, leave now." He said seriously. Ginny wondered how many times he must have rehearsed that.

It was all a little too dramatic for her taste.

"Chasers—you'll be up first, everyone trying out for that...well line up over here." He gestured towards the goals posts before he went to speak with the beaters about their role in the chaser tryouts. He himself was the seeker.

Ginny immediately walked over to where he had designated, ignoring the eye rolls and jeering.

"Ah—come on Collins, tell her to leave...she'll just get in the way! How can we try out with her here interfering." Albert Jones whined.

Ginny glared at him.

Collins thought a moment, looking at Ginny appraisingly, finally he said, "Play like she's a bloke, she gets hurt; then it was her own choice. Besides Jones—no whining, remember?" He shrugged referring to his opening speech.

There were some discontented muttering but Collins ignored it.

"Right, Dagworth, Wilkerson and Stephens...in the air!" He called out from his clipboard and trials began.

Ginny personally, in her not so modest opinion, thought she was better than the six boys who had tried out so far. Then again Hermione always did tell her she had a tendency to overestimate her abilities at times.

However when her turn came, Ginny could not deny the her nervousness. If she failed, the boys would only doubly sneer at her for trying.

"Weasley, Perkins _and..._Jones," Collins motioned them from where he was, high in the air on his broom.

Mounting her own broom, Ginny kicked off the ground a little too hard with all of her adrenaline, almost unseating herself.

Perkins and Jones smirked at each other upon seeing this, infuriating Ginny when she caught their expressions. She hovered in the air glaring at them as they in turn gave her indecipherable but certainly arrogant looks.

"Right...get on with it then!" Collins yelled impatiently.

Grabbing the quaffle from Philip Dagworth, Perkins began to fly to the goals with it where Heath Weatherford was playing keeper.

Ginny flew, waiting for the throw. She was open, Scott Kyle and Jacob Hunt were both guarding Perkins and Jones, while Dagworth seemed to just fly in-between them.

None of them were paying attention to her.

She went along with it for two plays, but after screaming for a pass and watching Perkins and Jones miss three shots, she had had enough.

Flying right over to Jones she knocked the ball out of his grip with a punch, catching it on the tips of her fingers as he dropped it. He had an incorrect hold on it anyways.

She then turned sharply, ducking a bludger and rolling as she began to streak towards the goals.

Dagworth however, was waiting for her having hung back from the last play.

He flew right beside her, his shoulder touching hers. _"_Come Weasley—just give me the quaffle. I'll go easy on you...you can even _thank _me later..."

Switching the quaffle to her other arm, Ginny took her elbow and swung it in a round motion, catching Dagworth right in the nose and causing him to stop his pursuit of her.

With an open shot she kept flying towards the goals, switching the ball back to her right dominant hand.

She motioned left, and then watching the keeper think that she faking, went ahead and threw straight through the left goal.

Collins blew his whistle.

"She broke my bloody nose!" Dagworth cried, his voice distorted from his quickly swelling and bleeding nose.

Collins turned to Ginny with a blank face, "You do realize thats a foul right?"

She thought for a moment before deciding that apologetic was not the choice she wanted. If they were going to treat her that way then she saw no reason to play nicely.

"You do realize this is the Slytherin Quidditch team, and not the Hufflepuff one, right?" She asked cheekily.

She waited anxiously a second before Collins responded.

Collins grinned at her briefly, "Okay—back to work you lot. Oh...for Merlins sake Dagworth...Pull yourself together!"

Ginny flew brilliantly the reminder of try outs, making the team easily. She was the first girl in twenty years to do so, and only the second one in the history of Slytherin.

She was sure to put more than standard locking charms on the dusty, hardly ever used, girl's section of the locker room that had only been added in the eighties anyhow. The last things she needed was one of the idiots in the other room breaking in while she was changing.

She changed quickly, into simple muggle clothes a green sweatshirt and a pair of jeans as if was a free Friday that day of school.

Tomorrow was the first Hogsmeade trip of the year, something no one would stop discussing it seemed.

Walking outside with only a brief nod to Collins, Ginny was only two feet away when an invisible hand grabbed her arm, pulling her under the stands.

She managed not to scream but was still startled none the less as she turned under the cloak to glare at Harry.

"Give me a heart attack why don't you?" She asked, mostly feigning her exasperation as she was so happy to see him.

She opened her mouth to tell him about tryouts but he beat her to it, "I know they're supposed to be closed, but I snuck in anyway. You flew brilliantly," He said grinning and giving her a tight hug in congratulations.

She smiled back, "I had a good teacher."

"Thanks." He grinned again.

"Well aren't you self important—I was talking about Ron!"

Harry rolled his eyes, and they both laughed.

"You were a very good teacher..." She finally admitted as they walked back to the castle.

"The best." Harry nodded.

After talking a little while more Harry went to help Sirius grade papers while Ginny began to make her way to the library to finish her assignments for that week.

Unfortunately she noticed Will studying at a table almost as soon as she walked in.

She turned to walk away but the damage was already done. "Ginny!"

She cringed, turning back around, "Oh—hello Will...didn't see you there."

"Yeah, O.W.L year y'know," he said gesturing the many books he had laid out on his table.

"Want to come study over here?" He asked enthusiastically.

"Oh...um..I don't..." But he was already clearing space for her with such a big grin on his face that she decided to just let it be.

Perhaps, if the opportunity presented itself, it would be a good time to clear the air now anyways.

They studied in awkward silence for around an hour. Ginny pretended she didn't notice the glances he kept shooting her.

Finally he broke the silence when she was almost done with her potions essay.

"So...Hogsmeade tomorrow eh?" He asked.

She looked at him not really sure what he was asking, so she just shrugged vaguely.

"Right..." He sounded like he was gathering his nerve.

_Oh please don't do this Will!_

Ginny thought to herself. Hoping the memory would dissuade him, Ginny brought up the strange boils from that morning.

"I see you got your um—face cleared up there?" She phrased it like a question.

"Oh...yeah I went to Promfrey and she fixed it right up...wish I knew who did it though." He said bitterly with a slight blush, clearly still embarrassed from it.

"Me too," Ginny muttered, although she was more thinking along the lines of wanting to thank her mysterious savior who had driven Will away at breakfast.

However, that comment appeared to give Will some confidence as he took it as her anger on his behalf.

Straightening his shoulders and sitting up a little taller he began, "I—I have been wanting to ask you—"

_He's really going to do this isn't he? _Ginny thought in horror.

"—willyougotoHogsmeadewithme?" He blurted out, losing all composure.

It if wouldn't have been such a cruel thing to do, Ginny would have laughed. He had said it so quickly that had she not been expecting she wouldn't have known what he was asking.

Taking a deep breath and deciding to take Helen's advice, Ginny looked him in the eye.

"Will...I just don't think that would be the best idea—"

"Why?" He interrupted, loudly causing Madame Prince to glare at them.

"Well you see—Susan really likes you..." Which wasn't a lie, Susan was always blushing when he was around.

"But I don't like her!" He whispered back intently, their conversation having dropped in volume to avoid the librarian's notice.

"Why not? She's prettier than me anyway—"

"She isn't. Have you seen yourself Ginny?" He asked, interrupting her as he looked intently into her eyes as if hoping it would convince her.

Ignoring the compliment Ginny trudged on, deciding that the whole truth was the only solution.

"And Will...I'm sorry but...I just don't feel the same." She said softly.

His face fell dramatically and Ginny felt guilty for ever wishing she had any boy's attention when this was all that ever resulted. They sat there for another moment before he belatedly replied.

"Oh—I see then." He muttered.

He packed up his things and began making his way out of the library, ignoring her pleas for forgiveness and hasty explanations.

"Will, wait, I'm sorry, I—"

Taking a deep sigh as she watched him march out of the doors Ginny slammed her potions text book shut, earning a glare from Madame Prince again. Ginny sent a rude hand gesture at her back when she turned around.

Ginny laid her head on her text book feeling like a horrible person and thinking her day couldn't get much worse.

She was wrong.

As she was walking back from the library to the Slytherin common room, she was stopped by Greg.

"Ginny!"

She turned around, relieved to see it was Greg. She smiled, glad it was him and not Reynolds, or worse Will.

The one boy in this school who she knew wouldn't make her uncomfortable with any proposals.

"I was wondering about—you know, um...with Hogsmeade tomorrow and all—"

_This cannot be happening..._Ginny though incredulously to herself.

"Would you go with me? To Hogsmeade I mean?" He added on hastily.

Putting her face in her palm Ginny replied, "Greg, I just don't think that would be the best idea..." She said, sticking to her original phrasing even though the previous result had been rather terrible.

He frowned, "Why not?"

He looked so dejected, worse than Will had. It felt like someone dropped a lead shoe in her own stomach as she watched the smile on his face die.

"I just...don't really feel that way about you." She said, trying to keep her tone has kind as possible.

He looked at her for a moment before almost whispering a reply.

"Oh...I um—I really fancy you..." He said earnestly.

This only made her feel that much worse, especially when she heard a gasp and turned to see a teary eyed Helen not far away watching the seen.

As soon as Greg and Ginny's eyes both found her, Helen turned and ran down the corridor. Dropping one of her text books behind her in her haste.

"Helen—WAIT!" Ginny called after her.

Ginny sprinted as fast as she could. But it was no use, she had turned the corner and disappeared.

Leaning back against the wall to catch her breath, Ginny clenched her fists.

Greg who had started running only a moment after Ginny then came into sight.

"Where'd—why'd she run off like that?" He asked bewilderedly.

Looking at him like he was a hopeless moron, Ginny asked acerbically, "Why do you think?"

Ignoring his confused looks, she straightened up and stormed into the common room and from there into the room she shared with Harry.

She looked in the mirror, her face was red from anger and her hair a mess from running. She messed it up even more, maybe that would discourage all the admirers she seemed to be gaining.

She picked up a vase, a gift from Auntie Muriel, and threw it against the wall; shattering it.

"Moronic—idiot! How could he be so blind!" She muttered to herself angrily.

"You're not talking about me are you?"

She turned to see that Harry had walked through the door, he was eyeing the broken vase with a questioning glance.

"No." She said shortly.

"Who then?" He raised an eyebrow has he pulled out his wand and repaired the old Christmas gift, setting it back on the table.

Sitting on the bed she told him still very testily, "Greg Field."

Harry looked surprised, "The Ravenclaw? I thought he was a friend of yours?"

"He was—is—I don't know!" She said frustratedly.

"Not as good of a friend as Helen..." She added, looking confusedly at the wall.

"What's Helen have to do with it?" Harry asked, now very lost as to what was happening.

"She fancies Greg...a lot..always has—Merlin she bloody loves him." Ginny explained.

Comprehension dawned on Harry's face, "So...he...I guess he—does he fancy you?" He finally asked bluntly.

"Apparently." Ginny said looking over at Harry for his reaction.

His face was blank, she couldn't gather anything from looking at him.

"Hmm." Was all he said.

Momentarily forgetting her anger with Greg, she decided to test Harry.

"I got asked a lot to Hogsmeade..." She said, the suffering in her voice largely feigned now.

"A _lot_?" Harry asked.

She nodded, "Six boys..." It had only been three, but exaggeration wasn't really a lie, was it?

"A couple of seventeen year olds..." So what if the oldest had been fifteen?

Harry wasn't saying anything, he stretched back, leaning against the pillows of the bed beside where she sat.

He was looking away from her, at the night table when he asked, "Did you want to go with any of them?" There was a certain note of steel in his voice she hadn't heard from him often, perhaps never in that exact tone. A moment passed where she didn't answer, not because she wasn't sure of the truth but because she had become too distracted by her thoughts about him.

"Did you?" He asked again, this time sadder, seemingly resigned.

Shaking out of her stupor Ginny turned to him, "Hmm?" She asked.

Harry sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair, "Did you want to go with them?"

"Who?" Ginny asked, thinking about how his eyes really matched her jumper today. They were always so green. He also had such long eye lashes for a boy really, but she didn't find him feminine for it, after all he had such a strong jaw line that he could never really be considered girlish.

"The—the boys you were asked by?" Harry said, giving her a bewildered look.

"Oh—yeah...them. Um—no I didn't want to go with any of them." Ginny said flippantly, still admiring him too much to form a particularly eloquent response.

"Oh," She did notice the relief in his face, a blind man could've of. It sparked a confidence in her she had never before felt, which was saying something with her arrogance as of late.

Ginny began to slowly move forward while Harry was fiddling with his bag, pulling a book out of it. While he was distracted she inched even closer, until she was only a short distance from her goal

As he looked away, pulling his wand out of his robes to place on the night table, he turned his face back up to be shocked to find a pair of lips on his own.

In a brief second, it was electric, it was warming, it was everything a first kissed can be described to be. She had wound her hands into his hair, and while his were limp at his sides he was still almost subconsciously leaning towards her, deepening it just for a moment.

However when she pulled back a millimeter, and only for a moment, she was surprised so be pushed back completely as Harry scrambled frantically to get off the bed and in quite a hurry left the room.

Sirius was laying back against the couch in his own room, stark naked, happy he was finally done grading papers when his godson stormed in.

"Oh Merlin—" Harry broke off, quickly turning away to face the door.

Sirius in his usual care free manner just shrugged and lazily rose to put some clothes on.

"Is this what you do on your days off?" Harry asked exasperatedly.

"I would do it everyday but apparently it's not proper by McGonagalls standards." Sirius shrugged.

"I'll be sure to knock next time," Harry rolled his eyes, still red in the face.

"What's got you so agitated anyway?" Sirius asked, leaning back against the chair he had been lounging in.

Harry sat in the chair opposite of him, rubbing the back of his neck, absentmindedly touching his fingers to his lips.

"I—I...Ginny's gone mad."

"Gone mad? Well it was bound to happen mate, she is a girl." Sirius said with a shrug.

He waited for Harry to elaborate and prompted him when he didn't, "Mad at you?"

"Not exactly." Harry answered cryptically, still touching his fingers to his lips.

Sirius looked at him impatiently.

"She kissed me." Harry blurted out.

Sirius wolf whistled, laughing. "I don't think your grasping the severity of the situation!" Harry said angrily, standing from his chair to begin pacing about the room.

"I mean—she's just fourteen! We can't—I'm such a bastard..." Harry finally said. The air seemed to deflate from him as he sat back in the chair defeatedly.

"She kissed you—how are you the bastard?" Sirius asked.

Harry looked over at him shamefully, "...Because I liked it." He said quietly.

"Oh." Sirius said, clearing his throat and taking a moment to gather his thoughts.

Harry looked over at the room while they sat there, it was a simple room. Just a large bed with a red comforter over it and the two black chairs and table that they sat at. Through doors in the back was a large bathroom and closet, simple but nice as all the professor's chambers were. The wood was the usual stone but the floors were a dark cherry wood as was the ceiling, all in all it was a relaxing place to be.

There were a few pictures of Harry and Heather's childhood, Remus and Tonks and old school day photos on the desk that sat in the corner, but they served as the only decorations.

Sirius leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees.

"Harry—I think you're blowing this out of proportion..." Harry looked at him, surprised with his response.

"How am I—" But Sirius held up his hand to shut him up.

"Look mate, it was just a little kiss. It's not like you slept with her." Sirius said bluntly. Harry gave him an alarmed look.

"And you haven't had a snog in what—five years? Of course you liked it! I would be worried if you didn't. Not to mention the fact that you have some kind of weird magic going on between you..." Sirius explained.

Harry tried to interrupt again but apparently Sirius was on a rant, "Look, it really isn't a big deal. She's fourteen, it's natural she would be...it's natural that it would happen, really I think it's a good sign actually for the future even if it's not really something you can pursue now...and don't feel so bad. Honestly she hardly even looks fourteen—stop glaring at me, Molly said the same thing this summer. Ginny was an early bloomer, you'd be blind not to notice. It's not like you took advantage of her or anything—how'd it happen anyway?"

Harry took a second before responding, "She kind of...sneaked up on me..." He said a bit embarrassed.

"She _sneaked _up on you?" Sirius said with a snigger.

Harry glared at him, "One minute we were talking and everything was normal—well sort of...anyways I reached over to put my wand on the night stand and grab a book and when I turned back...well there she was..." Harry trailed off.

Sirius was still laughing, "I always knew she would make the first move!"

Harry glared yet again, "You know she's still too young."

"Yeah, she is." Sirius said still grinning. "But, that's alright. In just another few years here she won't be. Just tell her the truth and...like I said, it's really not the end of magic Harry. Just a mostly innocent kiss."

Harry nodded, feeling somewhat more re-assured.

"What'd you say?" Sirius asked.

"What'd you mean?" Harry asked.

"After the kiss, what did you say?" Sirius repeated.

"Oh, um—I just sort of left."

Sirius shook his head groaning, "Oh, Heather's right, it's a good thing magic married you off because you wouldn't have been able to do it yourself."

Harry rolled his eyes but then thought for a moment before replying seriously, "I should really go talk to her, huh?"

"Yeah pup, it'd be for the best."

**Please Review**

**There are four chapters left in fourth year, but they will go by pretty quickly as the updates should be quick, but of course that depends on reviews.**

**I am very sorry about the delay with this chapter but I had some serious computer problems that prevented me from writing. **


	22. Chapter 22

There was no one in their room when Harry went looking there. Just the simple bed, desk and empty bathroom, not a red headed girl in sight.

Sighing Harry went through the passage into the head girl's room, she wasn't there either.

He smirked however when he remembered the map.

In Ginny's first year her twin brothers had sent her a blank piece of parchment, they had been going to explain her it's workings anyhow that summer, but Sirius beat him to it.

He had been ecstatic to see the old map he and James had thought of.

Since then Ginny, and occasionally Harry, had made good use of the marauder's map. Now Harry only hoped it was somewhere in her room.

He began rummaging through her trunk, throwing some of her text books out as he did until finally he found the map buried in a pile of unmatched and mismatched socks.

"I solemnly swear, I am up to no good." He muttered, spreading the parchment out as the ink began to spread, rippling through the page to create a detailed illustration of Hogwarts.

She wasn't with Heather, who was sitting in her own private room. She also wasn't at the Quidditch pitch, which had been his second guess but seeing as her broom was laying on her never used mattress beside him, he guessed that was a stupid assumption.

When he finally found her, on his fourth guess, he wasn't all too surprised to see she was in the kitchens.

Ginny always did love chocolate cake when she was unhappy. This made him feel slightly guilty as he knew he was the source, but he was about to set everything straight anyhow.

He pocketed the map, and on a whim he also grabbed the cloak from her trunk. She had put it there after reclaiming it from him that morning.

Draping the cloak over him so he wouldn't be disturbed, Harry went to the kitchens.

He opened the door quietly, and entering didn't see Ginny anywhere. However he supposed she was probably at the wooden table kept off in the odd corner.

The cloak still obscuring him he tip-toed to where she was sitting, frowning as she took a large bit of her chocolate cake.

"Does Miss want anymore?" Keely asked, one of the elves who often served them when they came to the kitchens.

"I'm not sure yet," Ginny said thoughtfully after a moments pause, looking so pensive one would have thought she was considering world peace instead of chocolate cake.

Keely nodded, bowing again. "Let Keely know Miss if yous decides."

Ginny gave her a smile, "Thanks Keely—I will."

She was twirling some of her hair around her finger as she continued to eat. The glow from the fire cast a beautiful light on her face.

Debating whether or not to scare her, Harry stood there another second under the cloack. On one hand he didn't want to anger her any further but—well it was just too tempting too resist.

Walking around behind her very quietly, she was too distracted by her cake to notice anyhow, Harry stood directly behind her chair.

He leaned down until his mouth was near her ear before saying, "You're going to share that right?"

Ginny, jumping into the air dropped the cake, some smearing on her shirt as she scrambled up looking around wildly.

Harry burst into laughter, and she realizing who it was began to glare before she reached forward clawing the cloak off of him.

"That's it—you're forbidden from using that!" She said, hands on her hips.

Harry was still laughing, "You um—spilled your cake there Gin."

She rolled her eyes, "I wonder why you git!"

"Oh come on—you play jokes all the time. A does of your own medicine really." He said, still grinning.

"I wonder who gave me that habit." She said dryly.

"Sirius." He smiled.

She shook her head, "Perhaps second handedly since he did teach you."

"You're related to the twins, it's hardly my fault." He countered as they both sat down at the table.

Ginny frowned at her shirt before pulling out her wand to clean it and the mess of cake on the floor but Harry beat her to it.

"I could've done it myself." Sh said irritably, he only shrugged knowing she didn't really care.

She sighed, looking away. Harry however looked straight at her.

"I'm sorry," they began simultaneously.

"Oh—um, you first?" Ginny asked, lacking her usual confidence as she fiddled with her napkin on the table, twisting it in her hands.

Harry nodded still looking directly at her, their conversations always seemed to go better that way anyway.

"I went—" He broke off, deciding not to tell her he told Sirius for now, he wasn't sure if she'd be embarrassed by it or not.

He began again, "I went and thought for a little while—"

But this time he was interrupted, "You talked to Sirius didn't you?" She asked.

He gave her a smile, "I think we are starting to get to know each other a little _too _well." She shrugged, blushing somewhat.

"But apparently you can still take me by surprise," He continued, pausing to see the effect of his words. They were obvious as she began twisting the napkin in her hand more rapidly and her eyes again were downcast.

"Ginny, I'm so tired of things being hard," he grimaced slightly at the double meaning his words could have. She didn't seem to notice.

"I mean—I'm really sick of all this, we don't need to be this way. I don't want everything to be so awkward and confusing. I'm tired of it, it's exhausting." He said honestly, deciding the best course was too simply lay everything on the line as they probably should have done a long time ago.

She nodded, looking up hesitantly to meet his eyes.

He continued since she didn't seem to show any inclination towards speaking, "Earlier, about that—we can't, it's just that—right now you're too young." Harry finally said simply.

"I'm always too young—it gets old all this waiting." She said somewhat bitterly from across the table.

Harry laughed, "You're only fourteen, imagine how I feel."

She gave him a sheepish look before her expression turned troubled, and she looked away.

"What is it?" Harry asked, catching the look.

She gave hi a puzzled expression, "What?"

"You looked upset," he said simply.

She shrugged again, running a hand through her hair and still not meeting his eyes.

Harry gave her a long glance, "I know you're thinking something, don't you think this would be a lot easier if you'd just tell me?" He asked exasperatedly.

Ginny bit her lip, "I just, there's something that's been bothering me for years, well since my first year," She hesitated looking around the room again.

"Ginny, just tell me. It's not like I'll be angry." He said softly.

"I'm not so much worried about anger as I am about confirmation," she whispered, her voice still carrying well in the quiet kitchens.

Harry waited, drumming his fingers on the rough table wood.

She looked at him from the corner of her eye, taking a deep breath before continuing, "Harry, just tell me honestly—I need to know alright?"

He nodded, "I won't lie."

"How many relationships have you had?" She blurted out, rather quickly and in a normal tone unlike the soft whispers they had been speaking in.

Harry, sat there for a moment surprised by the question.

"Um—one." He said after gathering his thoughts.

Ginny frowned but didn't comment. Knowing she wanted to know more, Harry decided to put her mind at rest.

"It was right when I finished auror training, when I was nine-teen. I, well I went out with some friends one night after work and met her in the Leaky. We went on a couple of dates, but we broke up after just two months." He said simply.

Ginny sighed, clearly somewhat relieved about something, "Nineteen? That's the age you were when—" She gestured between herself and him.

He nodded, "Yeah, Cho and I broke up the first week our bond became active."

She looked downcast at that, Harry deciding something to drink would be nice, called Keely. "Keely do you have any butter beers around?"

She bowed deeply, "Yes sir."

"Can you bring us two?" He asked kindly with a smile to the elf, who would have anyway without the kinder gestures.

"So did you—you and Cho, did you split because of the bond and all?" She asked.

"Nah, she never even knew about the bond." Harry shook his head.

"Oh." She took a long sip of her newly delivered butter beer.

"Did you love her?" She finally blurted out, much in the same manner she had began the topic with.

Harry laughed, "Ginny—we dated for two months, maybe went on ten dates, maybe not even that—I don't even remember. No I didn't love her, all I could even say about her when we split was that she liked quidditch and was pretty."

He was still laughing, apparently finding it very funny, "It takes a lot more than that to love someone." He said more seriously has he calmed down from his amusement.

"Hmm." Ginny offered vaguely.

"Did you want to break things off with her?"

Harry sighed, wondering whether to tell the truth or not. If he was going to lay it all on the line, he might as well, he thought.

"No, not at first. You were only nine, and I didn't know you. I had finally escaped Sirius's isolation camp of overprotectiveness—I was nineteen and she was pretty. But after the bond started, well, Ginny do you ever look at someone and know that really you should find them attractive, but you don't?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded, "Yeah, I noticed that, but I thought it was just me?"

"No, that's the bond. When Cho broke things off, I went to meet her for the last time—I didn't even find her pretty anymore. Besides like I said, I didn't even know her that well. I think I liked the idea of her more than her. I did feel a bit rejected I'll say, but after seeing her that last time, I couldn't bring myself to feel that disappointed about our split."

Harry shrugged, sipping more butter beer, watching different emotions flit across her face.

"Did you ever—have you ever _been _with anyone?" Ginny asked shyly.

Harry gave her an odd look before choking on his butter beer when he realized what she was referring to.

"You sure do want to ask some personal questions tonight don't you?" Harry asked with a blush.

Ginny shook her head, blushing herself, "Oh—just forget I said anything—"

"No." Harry cut her off.

"No?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.

"No." He reaffirmed.

"But you were already nineteen?" She asked skeptically.

"You forget though, I grew up in a house fortified with every charm you can think of—in the middle of no where. The only girl there was Heather—" He broke off, grimacing. Ginny also was grimacing.

They caught each other's eye laughing at one another's disgusted expressions. When their laughter finally died down, Ginny continued her interrogation.

"So she was pretty?" She asked.

"Heather?" Harry asked, bewildered. This was just getting strange now.

"No—Cho you idiot!" Ginny reached across the table to slap him on his arm.

"Really, _that's _what you got out of _everything_ I just said?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Ginny, I she really doesn't matter. We barely even dated."

Harry grinned at her, "Besides Cho Potter doesn't have a nice ring to it anyhow."

Ginny nodded a little to vigorously, "No. Not like Ginny—"

She broke off, blushing more and clasping a hand over her mouth.

He laughed, reaching over to remove the hand that was covering her mouth. "I don't see why you're so embarrassed—you already are Ginny Potter, legally you know. It's how your name appears on the magical school roster, the Professors just say Weasley, as, well, saying Potter would kind of blow the secret now wouldn't it?"

"Really?" She asked, a curious expression on her face.

"No—I'm just making it all up. Bill was right, we really aren't even soul bonded." Harry responded sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes, shooting him an aggravated look. Harry however decided to put her worries about Cho and everything else to rest.

"Yes, I did think she, Cho I mean, was pretty. Pretty—not beautiful." He paused there, trying to think of how to phrase what he was about to say.

"I do think you're beautiful," he finally said after some deliberation.

Ginny blushed, her face lighting up with a smile she couldn't contain.

"And Ginny, I do really love you. I do. But—"

She began to lean forward across the table, but this time Harry was ready.

Placing a his hand on her chin he turned her face to kiss her on the cheek instead.

She drew back, blinking at him confusedly.

"But just because you don't look fourteen, doesn't mean you aren't." Harry said, trying to make her understand.

Her face fell into a frown before becoming a raised eyebrow.

"So?" She questioned challengingly.

Harry leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes tiredly, "Gin—it's just not right."

"You mean it's not normal—"

"No I mean it's not _right_."

Ginny however ignored his interruption, ploughing onward, "Harry, we have a soul bond, something most people think is a myth. Tell me again why we should follow the normal rules of society?" She questioned.

"Because, normal rules of society be damned, _I_ just _don't_ feel right about it Ginny. Me, personally, the thought of it—it's just not the right timing. Not the right thing."

She sighed, "I'm so tired of everyone treating me like a little kid.

I'm fourteen—I'm not a child anymore!"

"Well with original lines like that, definitely not." Harry said wryly, grinning.

She glared at him.

"Ginny, you have from the time you're seventeen until you die to be an adult, that's a long time. Why not enjoy your childhood, it's a lot shorter, a lot more precious really. I don't feel right about it because it's not right. You are still a child Gin—"

He broke off, giving her an impatient glance as she shot him a murderous glare.

"Look, why not just wait. I feel like our situation is already difficult and strange enough most of the time without adding this. I just want to wait, I think it'll be the best thing for us. I know you don't think so, but right now, at fourteen and twenty four, there's just a really big difference between you and me." Harry explained softly.

Her gaze softened as she bit the inside of her cheek, thinking about what he'd said.

"I guess that wouldn't be so bad." She finally muttered, still looking a bit put out.

Harry tugged on her hand to lead her out of the kitchens, pulling her into a one armed hug.

"Good, I'm glad to have my little sister back."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Right—bad phrasing." Harry thought for a moment.

"Young woman that I love, who is soul bonded to me but who I am attempting to have a platonic relationship with." Harry clarified.

He looked at her for approval, and they both burst into laughter at the awkward phrasing in that sentence.

For the first time in a long time, everything really was entirely alright between them.

Hogsmeade was cool, which was expected as it was October in Scotland. That day however was especially chilly.

Ginny pulled her black wool coat around her a little tighter.

She and Heather had met with

Hermione in the village. Sylvia had tagged along also since Gwen was on a date and she didn't want to spend time with Helen and Susan who were, well no one really knew where they had gone to.

Things were tense between Helen and Ginny, and Ginny had yet to really get a chance to privately explain to Helen her side of the story.

She hated that a boy, even if it was Greg, was ruining their friendship.

"Do you think these robes make me look fat?" Hermione asked no one in particular self consciously.

However it was Heather who chose to answer what people had now been regarding as a rhetorical question from the brown haired witch. "Hermione, you're six months pregnant—you _are_ fat."

Hermione turned scowling but didn't say anything.

The group finally decided to go to the book store. Hermione's choice of course.

Sylvia however too had some things she was looking to get.

"I'm just saying I think he's up to something. He's been up at the school all the time this year." Heather continued. She had brought up Malfoy again upon entering the store.

"And I'm saying you're letting your own personal bias make these judgements. Heather—there is no conspiracy. And as for him being at the school more, maybe the board of governors has just asked him to take a more active roll now." Hermione said.

Heather rolled her eyes, "Well if you lot won't, I'm still going to be keeping an eye on Malfoy."

"Go right on ahead." Hermione replied flippantly.

Ginny shared a grin with Sylvia at their antics.

Syvlia was browsing a book entitled, _Drastic Cosmetics—the Extreme Care Cases._

Ginny raised an eyebrow and Hermione upon catching sight of it said, "Oh Honey. You don't need that. Those spells are bad for people, besides, there are a lot of simple charms out there that are just as good."

Sylvia sighed, "Easy for you to say—you're pretty."

"So are you." Hermione said simply.

"Really—because Susan spent last Friday's lunch giving me a talk about how not to let myself get depressed because 'physical attraction isn't everything.'" Sylvia said, the annoyance still fresh in her voice.

"She didn't say you were ugly. She just said physical attraction isn't everything." Hermione altered.

Sylvia just gave her an unimpressed look as they continued to all look at the book.

"Which it isn't," Hermione went on to add, "I can honestly say my marriage is based on so much more than that, it just has to be to work."

Ginny glanced up at her with raised eyebrows, "You married my brother—what is it based on?"

"Now Ginny, Ron is a very good man, he is intelligent, kind, funny..." Hermione began to get a dreamy look in her eye, Ginny just snorted.

"Okay Hermione, whatever you say..."

Heather spoke up from the corner, "Kids these days, turn into teenagers and all the sudden they're such smart-arses—you just want to hex them."

Hermione and Ginny burst out laughing.

Heather looked up puzzled, "What?" She asked sharply.

"Nothing, nothing at all." Ginny muttered, placing a book back on the shelf while Hermione asked, "How are you feeling towards hypocrisy these days?"

Soon they were all headed back to Hogwarts, having said their good byes to Hermione after some butter beers at the Three Broomsticks.

Sylvia went to go read some in her room, while Heather went off to do—whatever it was Heather did in her free time, so Ginny decided to go get her broom and fly some before it became dark.

What she didn't expect to see when she walked in her room was sitting on her bed.

Unlike the last time she had seen it, it was in absolutely perfect condition, the little black book was exactly in the middle of her never used mattress.

The letters T.M Riddle glinted in their gold writing on the corner.

Her hands were shaking slightly as she held them out to be tested by Dumbledore for anything. The headmaster, Sirius, Heather and Harry were all sitting around her, anxious expressions on their faces. Even the headmaster's ever ready supply of lemon drops couldn't make them feel better. Dumbledore had assured them it wasn't the real book.

Even so, she hadn't touched the thing.

She had immediately ran and gotten Harry. Terrified to even enter her room again until she found him. She had never seen him so angry when he saw the diary and realized what she had been saying. He had immediately taken her and the book to the headmaster, having learned from last times mistakes.

He had supported her white, shaking form as they made their way to the headmaster's, the book floating in front of them.

"A normal journal." Albus had told them. Nothing peculiar at all—well, aside from the obvious.

There were absolutely no hexes, no dark magic, no memories, nothing in the book. It was just a journal, a journal that looked exactly like the book that had almost killed Gwen, Ginny and Harry. It even bore the same name.

But it was just a regular journal.

Harry had burned it with Albus's permission. Heather and Sirius began to speculate, but Ginny just sat there. The memory still haunted her sometimes, and to have it thrown in her face so unexpectedly—it was too much. Once the talk quieted down Harry and she left for their room.

Settling into bed, he held her tight. While she didn't cry, he could tell she was upset.

"We never did find out who put that diary in my room." Ginny finally said quietly, the first thing she had really said since she had come running to him in Sirius's office, hysterically explaining that '_it had returned_.'"

Harry nodded, "We will, I promise." He would make sure of it.

She nestled her head further into his chest, "I just don't understand who would play a joke like that anyways—and after three years. It's just—"

"I know." Harry said again.

There was a long silence for a moment before Ginny offered one last comment, "Well we could always take Heather's option and just blame Malfoy." She said, lighter sounding than she had been since that evening when she had seen the book.

Harry gave a weak chuckle, "Yeah. Don't worry tonight, just sleep."

She turned slightly to look him in the eye, "How can I not worry when whoever it was, was right through that passage, in my room, sometime today?"

His blood ran cold at those words, and they both ended up laying there for a long time talking about lighter topics and ignoring the tension they felt around them. It was nice to talk about names that Hermione and Ron were considering for their son, much nicer than discussing some mysterious figure who wanted them dead, who could be in the next room.

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter.**

**Please review. **


	23. Chapter 23

"We'll try not to break your nails today Weasley!" A Gryffindor boy shouted at her in the corridor.

Ginny rolled her eyes, Gryffindor had three _girls_ on their team—she didn't see why her female status was such a fuss on the Slytherin team.

Ignoring the third year who had shouted, she went on her way. She was going to have breakfast with Harry, they had decided to eat at the Quidditch pitch since she didn't want to be harassed by all the other houses but her own, and shot dirty looks from the boys in Slytherin that didn't make the team.

Harry had gone to the kitchens that morning to get her breakfast.

She had always liked the kitchens, but after their talk a couple of months ago she now couldn't go anywhere near them, or even think of them without a silly grin coming to her face.

Her long red hair was held back in a french braid, as silly as it was she had really put a lot of thought into how to do her hair for the game. She felt ridiculous while doing it but she had anyway.

A pony tail in her opinion left too many stray hairs to fly in her face. Besides, she liked her french braid, it looked nice and the spell work for it had been easy.

She had done her usual everyday cosmetic charm, just a little lengthening and darkening of her eye lashes. However she had also today, deciding to take advantage of being a girl after all, added a little bit of light green, muggle eye shadow for house spirit. Hermione had gotten her some when she had heard she had made the quidditch team.

Her uniform with the white pants with the tall laced up boots, in her opinion was beautiful; with her name embroidered in silver on the back of the dark green robes. She didn't see why so many girls said it was a masculine thing, she thought she had rarely looked better than she did that morning, ready to play her first real match.

The weather was cloudy, and a definite nip in the air that left her cheeks rosy and robes held tight around her.

However in the stadium where the surrounding stands gave shelter from the breeze, it was actually quite nice.

Harry was already there, some breakfast food crumpled up in a large cloth he had with him where he sat in the staff section.

Deciding to forego the stairs Ginny just mounted her broom and flew to where he was sitting.

"Took you long enough." He said with a grin.

She rolled her eyes, "I had to paint my nails." She said with a fake voice as she pretended to admire them, she hadn't painted her nails at all.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Keep spending that much time on your hair and I won't be surprised when you do start obsessing with you nails."

She slapped him on the shoulder, almost as hard as she could. She didn't believe in playful slaps all too often.

Harry rubbed his shoulder sending her a hurt look, the effect was ruined however with the smile playing on his lips.

"Whatever, where's this breakfast you promised?" Ginny asked, setting her broom aside and sitting next to him on the cold metal bleachers.

Harry opened out the cloth to reveal pastries, bacon and a few other foods. From his other side he pulled out from around him two glasses of pumpkin juice.

She smiled, mouth watering at the sight of all the bacon. She always had loved breakfast.

"Where are Heather and Sirius, I thought they were coming too?" She asked, with a mouth full of a roll.

Harry shrugged, "Waking up Heather is impossible, and if you wake up Sirius he thinks you're attacking him and holds you at wand point until he comes to his senses."

"So in other words you were too lazy to wake them?" Ginny asked.

"You could've gotten them—you chose to do your hair instead." He defended.

She rolled her eyes, "You're never going to let me live that down are you?"

"You did try eight different styles before deciding," Harry said by way of explanation.

"Well—when you have hair this long—" She said, gesturing to the braid that flowed almost to her hip. "—You tell me how you take care of it."

"Can imagine what a nightmare my hair would be that long?" Harry asked, looking up with his eyes at his messy dark locks.

"Well, we'd have to get you that book, _Extreme Potions for the Less Fortunate Haired_." Ginny replied.

"Heather got me that book for Christmas last year as it is." Harry mentioned earnestly.

"That's right! I forgot she did that." Ginny said with a grin at the memory of last Christmas.

"Yeah, and your friends came and visited and Helen thought the book was yours and she gave you that lecture about what pretty hair you have?" Harry reminded her.

Her face fell slightly at the mention of Helen. Noticing Harry grimaced, kicking himself for so carelessly brining that up.

"You two still not alright?" He asked softly.

Ginny shrugged, "I explained everything to her, and she says—she says it's fine. She told me not to worry but, it's like—it's just not the same anymore y'know?"

"Not really," Harry answered, he hadn't really ever had many friends outside of his and Ginny's family.

"Seriously?" Ginny asked him.

"Well—" He hesitated racking his brain for anything that might relate.

Then it came to him, "Maybe, um—Ron and I had only really been friends for a little while before I met you and the bond started, but it was really strange when that happened. He didn't blame me but—we just didn't have the easy friendship we had had for a long time after that."

"I didn't know that," Ginny said. "It's strange, I was there for all these things you tell me, but I was so oblivious. You saying this it's like something I never saw—I don't know it's a little weird. Like a re-write of history or something." She said, looking at him to see if he understood.

He nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry so much about Helen, she'll come around."

"Yeah, I guess." Ginny shrugged, shifting closer to rest her head on his shoulder.

Since they had come to their understanding, it had actually been easier to be more affectionate since Harry felt more comfortable knowing that she knew exactly what he meant by it.

"She and Susan have really been around each other a lot lately." Ginny said after a while.

"Hmm—well Susan and her have been friends just as long. Although I never really understood how Susan was in Slytherin, she doesn't have the family or the—" Harry trailed off, not wanting to be rude.

Ginny however didn't care, "The brains—the evil mastermind?" She asked helpfully, jokingly at the end.

He nodded, "Well I didn't want to say it."

She offered him a half grin, "It is true. I love Susan and all, but I've never really understood how she ended up in Slytherin either."

"I wonder what house I would have been in?" Harry thought aloud.

"Probably none, the sorting hat would've kicked you out." Ginny joked.

Harry rolled his eyes, "That wasn't even very funny."

They fell silent a moment before Ginny spoke up again.

"Susan though—she's always just kind of been _there _y'know? It's never—it's never been like with me, Gwen and Sylvia with Susan. I just feel—I miss Helen being part of our group. It's like she and Susan have formed a new one of their own now."

"Honestly, I'm not really the best one to give you any advice Gin. I didn't have _any _friends." He laughed. "Which is part of the reason I wanted you to come to Hogwarts so badly."

"Despite the death threats." She said sardonically.

Harry tensed, "You haven't seen anything today? Right?" He asked a little hurriedly.

"No, calm down. Every things been normal since—I'm fine." She corrected.

He nodded but did not relax much, Ginny closed her eyes from where her head sat on his shoulder.

"How can you be tired? You just woke up?" Harry asked, seeing her eyes closed.

"I'm not tired, I'm happy and was trying to enjoy the moment until some green-eyed git wouldn't shut up." Ginny answered with a grin, still keeping her eyes closed.

"AND IT'S WEASLEY WITH THE GOAL!"

Ginny smiled, allowing herself a small fist pump before she refocused on the match.

She caught a blurry sight of Harry grinning in the stands but had to go play defensive before she could swoon about it.

Flying alongside Kayla McCarty, she rammed her shoulder into the other girls as hard as she could. Collins was on McCarty's other side as the two of them ganged up on the Gryffindor chaser to steal the ball.

Shoulder ramming was a hardly a foul per say, it just wasn't good sportsman ship.

Ginny however, feeling so carefree and light like she hadn't in a while, found herself hardly caring about a little bit of dirty tactics—they were the Slytherin team after all.

Collins now had the ball, it being passed to him from Fenwick who had stolen it in the weak pass McCarty had tried to send to one of her team mates with Ginny and Collins guarding her.

Collins passed to Ginny, who ducking a bludger tossed it back to him in mid roll, and he scored for Slytherin.

The rest of the game went by in much a similar manner, with Ginny scoring eleven goals, and having six assists and four steals.

Although Gryffindor's seeker finally ended their misery by catching the snitch, it hardly mattered.

The common room party was subdued compared to the Gryffindor ones her brothers had told her about, but she liked it anyhow.

In Slytherin the atmosphere was more divided, while everyone celebrated in the common room, they did so in their own individual groups.

Gwen was over flirting with some seventh year boy, her legs draped across his lap as she sat on the arm of the chair. Sylvia sent her a slightly disapproving look, this was the third boy this week, but didn't say anything.

Ginny was sitting with Sylvia as they sipped their drinks and gossiped about different things, it was nice to be so relaxed. Ginny was still in her Quidditch robes, she hadn't really felt like changing at the time she had been wanting to celebrate so badly. And she liked they looked on her anyhow.

Eventually though, people began to disperse from the common room, and Ginny made her way to her room.

Harry was there, reading an old book of children's stories he sometimes pulled out for the nostalgia when he was bored.

He had congratulated her on playing so well earlier before she had been pulled off by Gwen to go down the common room and celebrate.

However when she entered he was getting ready to leave.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I need to go help Sirius grade some papers." He answered, clearly not looking forward to the prospect.

"Oh—and um, Heather and Sirius wanted to have dinner later in the kitchens. They haven't really gotten a chance to talk to you since term started," he added.

Ginny smiled, "So like what—in two hours or so?"

"Yeah about that time." He answered as walked out of the door.

Seeing no reason to sit by herself in the bedroom, Ginny got up and went back to the her own room to work on some school work.

She knew she really should change out of her Quidditch robes but she decided to put it off a little longer.

Pulling out her potions essay she sat down and got to work. However she had only written maybe a few paragraphs when a knock on her door interrupted her train of thoughts.

"Susan?" She asked, wondering what the other girl was doing there.

"Oh, hi Ginny." Susan said like she had been expecting someone else to be there.

Ginny resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "What is it?"

"Oh—I need to talk to you," Susan explained.

"What about," Ginny gestured for her to come inside but the other girl stayed at the threshold of the door.

"Do you think we could go outside?" She asked instead.

Ginny shrugged, "I don't see why not." She said, secretly a little annoyed and not seeing how her room wasn't a suitable location for whatever Susan wanted to talk about.

They walked, but as Ginny started to veer towards the entrance to go out onto the grounds, Susan grabbed her arm.

"Actually, I want to go to Hogsmeade."

She was quick to add on at Ginny's disbelieving expression, "Helen's there you see, and she really wants to talk to you."

"But todays isn't a—"

"I know a secret passage way we can take." Susan was quick to add.

"Alright," Ginny said, she also knew a few secret passages from the Marauder's map but was surprised Susan would know anything about those.

"Why didn't Helen just come talk to me?" She asked instead.

"Oh, you know how she is. She wanted to go to Hosgmeade, she just said she thought it was a better setting for you two to chat."

"Okay, but why didn't she—"

"Oh—who really understands Helen?" Susan asked.

Ginny decided to let it drop, and leading her to the passage that came out in Honeyduke's cellar.

They made their way out of Honeyduke's after waiting a while for the store manager to be distracted.

"She's off by the Shrieking Shack." Susan explained as she led Ginny away from the town.

Ginny was starting to be seriously annoyed, she was going to have a word with Helen when this was all over. On the other hand though if Helen was really willing to talk now and put this whole Greg affair behind them, then she would grateful. She did miss one of her closest friends.

They were at the Shrieking Shack when Ginny noticed Helen was no where in sight.

A bad feeling crept over her, and she began to put her hand on her wand that was tucked inside her robes.

She knew she was just being paranoid—but still, something was amiss. Susan's grip on her arm had turned vice like.

Susan then then turned to her looking around them, probably for Helen.

"Where's Helen?" Ginny asked exasperatedly. She needed to get back to the castle in an hour or so for dinner. It was already starting to get dark outside.

Susan looked at her with an expression Ginny had never before seen on the girl's face. The blank look that she normally always carried, the sweet but ditzy smile, wasn't there. It was much colder, and Ginny thought—didn't have the fake quality that the other had always carried somewhere.

Ginny raised an eyebrow, "Where is Helen?" She said a little bit more forcefully.

Susan gestured to a little ways into the snow, somewhere behind Ginny she hadn't looked yet. A body was face down there, dark blonde hair strewn about. She turned around with a horrified expression, trying to yank her wand out of her robes but the strong grip Susan had on her prevented it, as well as the wand the other girl was holding to her throat.

"I'm afraid she won't be joining us," Was all Susan said before with a tug somewhere around her navel, she and Susan were taken away by the portkey Susan had forced into her hand.

When they re-appeared and Ginny could finally see her surroundings, they were in a graveyard.

**Did you really think that if Susan was actually a muggle born, who was a complete ditz and had no cunning or ambitious nature, she would have been sorted into Slytherin? Facades—they happen. **


	24. Chapter 24

**Sakinawithlove—the night Harry's parents died, Sirius stayed with Heather and Harry and was then interrogated by Dumbledore to prove his innocence. He never went to prison, on the other hand, Peter also escaped. Hope this clears up questions, thanks for reviewing!**

Ginny was doubled over, gasping for breath as she staggered backwards, dizzy with blurry vision that always resulted from being taken by surprise by a portkey.

She reached frantically in her robes to pull out her wand only to find it wasn't there.

She was standing now, Susan had also scrambled to her feet. She was facing her with both wands in hand, hers and Ginny's.

They locked eyes and looked at each other for only a moment, but it seemed to be a moment that stretched on forever.

"_Are they here?_" A voice hissed out, causing Ginny to wrench her neck as she turned her head quickly to the left, startled by the sinister sound.

"Y—Yes my Lord." A whimpering voice answered back.

"_Then let us begin!_" The voice hissed.

Not knowing quite what was happening, but deciding she didn't want to present for it, Ginny turned and sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her.

She had always been fast, always able to out sprint the few other children she had been able to play with when she was younger.

But she was not fast enough now.

A spell, likely cast by Susan, shot after her, she was able to dodge the first, and the second but the third bound her in a series of ropes and she went falling to the ground with a hard thud.

Face down in the grass, Ginny's heart was beating rapidly. She wasn't going to die here, wherever they were, she was determined about that.

What she needed to do was get back to the portkey. But the question was, how would she be able to?

Meanwhile at Hogwarts—

"Have you seen Ginny Weasley?" Harry asked, another group of Slytherin students he didn't know. She had shown up for dinner. He had waited twenty minutes before he started checking the marauder's map. Five minutes after that before he started asking people where she was, and ten minutes after that before he began to really panic.

He had asked everyone, and checked the map several times. He had gone to the room of requirement even, but he was now ready to explode at any moment as flash backs of her first year filled his mind. He couldn't bare another time like that—thinking she was dead while he couldn't do a damn thing about it. So he kept looking, kept asking, hoping to find her. Hoping she had just fallen asleep in some forgotten nook of the school.

McGonagall had assured him she was likely just sneaking out of the castle for some post match celebration. Sirius agreed with him; they couldn't take a chance. Someone had left that diary earlier that year, and if that some one had Ginny—they couldn't take a chance.

"Have you seen Ginny Weasley?" He asked another student, a fifth year Ravenclaw this time. He hadn't seen her either.

"Have you seen Ginny Weasley? Anywhere?" His voice was bordering on shouting now when he asked people.

A hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder, spinning around and drawing his wand, Harry found himself holding his own sister at wand point.

"Oh—sorry," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair again. It was now in complete disarray from how many times he had done that in his agitation.

Heather was startled, but she replied nonetheless, "That's fine—um, Albus needs to speak with you. They're all waiting in his office."

Harry nodded tensely, thankful they weren't far from the headmaster's office. His fast stride was difficult to keep pace with. Heather found herself almost jogging to keep up.

"Password?" Harry asked gruffly. He had barely waited for a response when he snapped, "What's the damn password?"

"Blood Licorice," Heather stated, not challenging him when she understood what was at stake.

The gargoyle admitted them in, and Harry trotted up the stairs and swung the door open without bothering to knock.

"What is it? Have you found her?" Harry asked urgently to the tense looking adults in the room. Sirius was pacing about, Albus sitting behind his desk and McGonagall leaning beside the fire place while Snape sat in one of the arm chairs.

"No Harry—I'm afraid we haven't." Dumbledore answered gravely.

"Then what are we all doing in here? We need to be out looking!" Harry ground out.

"Perhaps if you calm down and shut up Potter, the Headmaster might share with you." Snape replied.

Heather didn't even bother to glare at him this time.

Harry tensed, his jaw clenched as he waited.

"We have no idea where Ms. Weasley may be, which why we think you need to try to access you bond and see through her eyes." Dumbledore answered.

"What? I can't control that—it happens randomly! That's—"

"Potter just try it." McGonagall said patiently.

Harry sighed, "How?" He looked around the room but no one seemed to be able to provide him with an answer.

"Think of her." Sirius suggested.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in Little Hangleton—

"_Is it almost ready_," the voice crept into the night air again. Ginny could tell it was coming from the nasty little bundle of rags that Susan was hovering over a few meters away.

"Nearly my Lord." The fat little man replied. His wispy blonde hair and watery blue eyes didn't match that of a hardened dark wizard, but Ginny had learned that appearance could be deceiving.

They had drug her across the ground, despite all of her thrashing, tying her to a large, grand headstone. Who's she didn't know. Completely bound and unable to move, Ginny had tried different tactics.

They were brewing some kind potion in front of her, in a large cauldron—the biggest she had ever seen. Large enough to fit a full grown human man in it easily in it's wide base.

It was now completely dark, but the night's stars she could clearly see in the country side they must be in offered her little comfort.

The man—the fat one, was still working furiously on the potion.

She wasn't sure why she was here, she knew it was likely to lure in Harry. And while she wanted to live, she wasn't sure she wanted him to come. These people might just kill him if he did, and that was the one thing she could not live to see.

Ginny had been persistently trying to summon her wand wandlessly since being tied. Susan had left it on the ground, unattended and in her sight but just out of reach as if to taunt her.

But Ginny remembered, long before Hogwarts, even before Harry when she would do wandless magic. They called it accidental then, just a child, but she had known she had wanted those cookies when she was five—it had been no accident.

Surely if she could do it then, then she could do it now. She just had to focus hard enough, and believe.

It was a cold night, and the wind was howling in her ears, whipping around the graveyard blowing Susan's perfect auburn hair around her face.

Ginny's own was still in it's french braid from the Quiddtich match.

The match had only been that morning but it seemed a life time ago now. She was even still in her green Quidditch robes with Weasley stitched on the back in a rich silver.

The man—the fat one, Wormtail he had been called by Susan, was now getting closer to finishing. His movements became just a little bit more frenzied and Ginny could tell that he was closer to his goal, which meant she needed to get her wand and do so quickly.

But no matter how hard she concentrated, it just would not come to her. It lay, unhelpfully on the ground, completely limp not two meters away.

"Master—it's almost ready," Wormtail spoke excitedly in a low mumbled tone.

"_Yes—good wormtail. Good_."

Who was speaking? What creature was in the bag?

Ginny was almost certain she knew who it was, but she refused to believe it. That reality would simply be too horrible. But by the crazed look of the two in front of her, the look she was sure could only have been inspired by one, she was beginning to come to terms with the fact that it was likely the reality she would have to face.

She was undeterred however, she kept focusing on her wand. She would bring it to her, and then she would run to the glove that had been the Portkey that was lying in the grass where they had came, and she would escape. She refused to think otherwise.

"_Are you ready for the final elements Wormtail?_" The voice hissed again, making Ginny shiver despite her resolve to not let them see her fear.

"Yes my lord." Wormtail said, drawing a silver knife from his bag of supplies.

Ginny eyed the knife fearfully, taking her concentration of her wand for the first time. She wanted to shout at the fat man to stop, to really think about what he was doing, but her gag they had shoved into her mouth prevented it.

She began to struggle futilely as he approached her with it, but for all her thrashing she didn't move an inch.

He grabbed her arm, in a surprisingly strong grip for such a weak looking man and with one deep cruel slice he split her forearm.

He cupped the blood that streaked down in it until he had a pool of it in his hand which he allowed to drop into the cauldron. Smoke began to rise from the cauldron now, thick and vast, it obscured Ginny's vision until she wasn't sure what she was seeing anymore.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given. You will renew your son!" He chanted as he dropped bones he had dug from the grave below Ginny.

"Flesh — of the servant — w-willingly given — you will revive — your master." He chanted, halting as Ginny saw in horror through the smoke, the silhouette of him cutting his own arm off and dropping it into the cauldron.

And finally, he dropped the last few drops of her blood that were left, clinging to his other, un-severed hand into the cauldron. "B-blood of the enemy... forcibly taken... you will... resurrect your foe."

He dropped the nasty bundle in, and Ginny said a fervent prayer that she suspected in vain, that whatever it was—who she thought it was—would drown. That the weak looking man had erred, that he had somehow ruined the potion, that the thing would not rise out of it restored.

Her wand forgotten as she watched the cauldron in morbid fascination, Ginny was horrified to see something begin to stir in the bubbles. The smoke had subsided now.

She could see clearly in front of her.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to.

"Robe me." It still had the hissing quality, but it was mixed now with the strength of a man's voice, no loner inhuman in body.

Standing in front of her, a long black robe billowing to the ground, she was sure was Lord Voldemort in the flesh once again.

He turned slightly and she could see him examining his own hands with something akin to approval written across his features. "Wormtail—my wand," he stated calmly. Taking a light hold on the wand Wormtail had immediately held out for him and looking at it reverently.

Susan was still hovering in the background.

Voldemort pressed the wand to his forearm, in what Ginny had heard from some of the old whispers of stories from the first year, was a call to his death eaters.

He turned then, looking at her with a cruel smirk adorning his gruesome face. It was a like a snake, with red slits for eyes and inhuman bone structure. Ginny held his eyes, but more because she was caught in a trance, like prey before it's predator, than because of any bravery she could muster. She had never been more terrified, not even in the chamber.

Still, she held her chin high. She would summon her wand to her wandlessly, she had to...she just needed Voldemort to be distracted enough for her to try.

"Ginevra—our guest of honor." He said, amusement glinting in his red eyes.

Wormtail was still whimpering and bleeding in the grass behind him, cradling his stub of an arm with his other hand.

"I was hoping for your soulmate, but you were so much easier to lure here. So naive," He said, running the tip of his finger across her jaw bone. She jerked back violently, hitting her head on the tombstone to avoid his touch. The gag still stuffed into her throat preventing her from speaking.

"You're standing on the grave of my father. I should know, I was the one to put him there. But I suppose he has been of some use to me yet." Voldemort said, then turning towards Wormtail and Susan.

"They'll be here soon," he said staring into the sky.

Ginny could guess who they were and was not looking forward to their arrival, but she supposed the situation could hardly deteriorate too much further anyway.

"My lord—my arm, please." Wormtail continued to cry.

"In time Wormtail," Voldemort said sharply.

Susan was bowing besides Wormtail's whimpering form, her head touching the ground as she bowed so low and deeply.

Ginny could hardly believe this was the same girl who was so shy around Will Mason.

"My lord," she said reverently.

"You will be reunited with your family soon," Voldemort replied.

"Oh—you are too generous my lord," Susan said.

"The Lestranges have served me faithfully, you will be an example to the others of true loyalty." Voldemort said.

Ginny wasn't sure what was happening, but she was beginning to doubt that Susan was Susan O'rielly, the simple minded but sweet muggleborn girl. She was starting to wonder if that girl had ever even existed.

Soon however, figures began to apparate in. Black robes covering them while their skull like masks hid their identities.

Voldemort appraised them, "Twelve of you return here tonight—six of you, who should be here still rotting in prison, and two who I believe have left me forever. Although none of you have shown the loyalty you should have."

There were simultaneous cries of 'my lord,' and pleas, apologies all ringing through the air.

"Silence," Voldemort looked around glaringly. "We do not gather here tonight to hear your sniveling."

"My Lord, where have you been?" Finally one death eater asked timidly.

"Ah—a long tale. One of a master deserted by his supposed loyal followers," at this many of them flinched, lowering closer to the ground.

"But one I am willing to tell," the dark lord continued after a pause.

"I have been in the forests of Albania for most of my years in exile, occasionally straying with some of the fools that have crossed my path—waiting, always waiting for one of my own to come for me."

There was a pause, silent as if everyone was holding their breaths.

"I never suspected that the follower would be Wormtail here." At that they all snickered, the man still bleeding in the grass.

"But come he did, and with news that someone, someone who was faithful to my cause was in Hogwarts, waiting for my orders. The daughter of one of my most faithful followers—one who will be with us soon."

He beckoned Susan forward, and with simple wand work removed the glamours that must have been concealing her for years, instead revealing a woman, seeming to be in her mid-twenties, with dark black hair and heavy lidded eyes.

"Ms. Lestrange as done a great service to the Dark Lord, and to her family. She has been hiding, disguised at Hogwarts as a muggleborn girl for three years now, waiting. She erroneously, on false information planted a diary opening the chamber of secrets only three years ago." At his he looked toward who Ginny was sure was Lucius Malfoy.

"But that can be a matter settled later," Lucius shuddered slightly on Voldemort's words.

"This girl, all but a child during my last reign, has shown tremendous loyalty," he said gesturing to Susan's true self.

"Lyra may take her place as one of mine now—you will have to prove your use once again." And Susan, or Lyra as she really was, looked maniacally happy.

He turned towards Ginny then again, "Oh—and how could I have forgotten, our guest of honor." He stated jeeringly.

"The young soulmate of the boy who lived. The lie that the public has believed for so long. Her blood, used to bring me back my body, will only strengthen me. Allowing me to bypass any protection that Potter's mudblood mother died for," he laughed.

"She will be the first death of this new reign. It is somewhat fitting, she does look like the last one. Yet another Potter to die fin Harry's place."

The death eaters cheered at that. Voldemort turned back to Ginny though, "How I would have liked to have his blood, but with their bond—hers sufficed nicely. Purer anyway." He reached forward again then drawing a finger across her face like he had done before.

"Do not worry though dear, you won't be parted long before your husband joins you in death." He smiled sickeningly.

He turned back to address his deatheaters. "Twenty three years ago, I went to the Potter's and the world has believed since them that some extraordinary magical feat allowed a pathetic child to best me—the most powerful sorcerer in the world," Voldemort laughed, but it was not a sound of amusement.

"This is a _lie_. His mother died for him, placing a powerful old magic that protected him that night with her death. A simple magic, that I had forgotten, but an easily bypassable one nonetheless. And now nothing will stop me. There was nothing then—nor now anything extraordinary about Harry Potter—"

"Oh—I beg to differ." A voice spoke defiantly from somewhere to the right of where they all were.

Ginny turned, straining against the ropes to see him.

And there he was, and as much as she wished he wasn't there, wished he wasn't in this terrible situation, seeing Harry again gave her hope. He looked at her, seeming to become all the more furious before he refocused on Voldemort.

Voldemort looked shocked for a moment before his mask slid back into place, "Mr. Potter—how I was hoping you could join us," he said mockingly.

"I don't see how, you resorted to harming an innocent fourteen year old girl instead of facing an opponent!" Harry retorted angrily. Ginny did feel some indignation at that, but had to admit to herself that it was Voldemort, and she hardly stood a chance. Besides, she reminded herself, she was in a life or death situation, no place for such childish notions.

"Come to save her?" Voldemort mocked.

"Save her, kill you—what is right in the world." Harry said, a hard edge in his voice.

"Right and wrong I find to be such petty notions. There is only power and those too weak to seek it," Voldemort hissed.

They both had their wands drawn, and as if on silent commands the deatheaters had all backed away, creating a dueling circle around them.

"You might want to put that wand away Harry—I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself." Voldemort drawled condescendingly.

"Hand me yours and I'll consider it." Harry retorted.

Voldemort gave a short bow, it went unreturned.

"I only bow to honorable opponents." Harry said.

"Now, now Potter—show some manners. Your mother was always one to bow, why she even dropped to her knees to beg in our last meeting—"

His taunts were interrupted as Harry sent a powerful blasting hex into the ground in front of Voldemort, blasting the ground apart, and what would have knocked the Dark Lord down like it did his death eaters had he not disappeared with a swift pop only to reappear behind Harry.

Voldemort shot the cruciatus curse a Harry's back from where he had apparated, but Harry having heard the tell tale crack of his re-apparation had dodged it just in time, rolling onto his feet and sending a severing hex that the Dark Lord was able to block with a silver shield.

Harry was barely able to conjure his own, strong, advanced gold shield before he would have been struck by a jet of purple light that Ginny could not identify.

Voldemort sent a jet of fire at Harry, an entire column of golden, red swirls— but Harry transformed it into water and gathering it up sent it back to Voldemort who once again apparated only to re-appear a few meters from where he had been, the water flying past him.

Voldemort once again sent the cruciatus curse at Harry while Harry simultaneously cast a stunner. Neither hit as both opponents moved quickly, possessing a breathtaking agility.

Voldemort cast the imperius, but Harry just dodged, smirking though as he faced him again.

They continued dueling, often both apparating to only re-appear throughout the grave yard, their duel becoming more fast paced, and violent as it continued.

Finally, they stood, wands raised and aimed at one another as there was a slight lull in their duel.

"Well Potter, seems Dumbledore has given his puppet some training." Voldemort sneered.

"Seems you have gotten old Tom."

He couldn't have said something else to anger Voldemort more, and he knew it—referencing the Dark Lord's hated muggle name and mortality all in one sentence.

"Avada Kedavra," Voldemort sent at him, and Ginny's heart stopped. Her heart stopped so violently and abruptly from it's racing pace that it felt like someone had punched her in the chest and it was now caving in.

"Avada Kedavra!" However Voldemort's killing curse was met with one of Harry's own.

They collided in the air, a smash of green light and a cord seemed to form between the two wands, connecting them and humming with energy.

Ginny watched, unsure of what was happening but relieved to see a very determined, and most importantly, very alive Harry.

He was struggling to hold on to his wand though, and so was Voldemort as the cord began to hum more and more, vibrating and sending off waves of light.

Figures, that Ginny couldn't quite make out, began to appear out of Voldemort's wand and and in silvery orbs surround the two of them.

All of the death eaters were watching, completely entranced by what was happening. Susan—or Lyra as she really was, rushed forward to help her master but with a shout he sent her back to the crowd of onlookers.

Ginny looked to where her wand still lay, and with more determination than she ever had, instead of wishing for it, willed it to her.

It came flying into her hand, and with a quick motion, and a silent spells she was freed from her binds. She ripped the gag out of her mouth, sucking in a few deep breaths of cold night air before she turned her attention back on the duel.

They were still standing where they had been, the cord of energy now brighter than ever between their wands as each of them struggled to hold it.

She looked around, the glove, the portkey that had brought them there, was not far away. It was just in the distance, still lying discarded on the ground.

None of the death eaters were currently paying any attention to her, still completely unaware she was even free from the headstone, but she knew that would change with what she was about to do.

She took off sprinting toward Harry, shocked to notice that standing beside him, or floating actually, was not just a silvery luminescent light, but the figure of a person who she was almost certain was Lily Potter. Harry did not see Ginny, as he was staring at his mother with awe on his face.

Right as Ginny reached Harry, he turning his head towards her now as the death eaters had noticed her mad dash and were beginning to send hexes their way, Lily looked at her and smiled.

Grabbing Harry's arm, Ginny summoned the glove to them, and with the tug of the portkey—they left the grave yard.

**Please Review. **


	25. Chapter 25

**Final Chapter of Fourth Year**

They landed with a thud on the snow covered ground, both breathing harshly from their exertions in the grave yard.

Harry however, had far too much adrenaline to stay lying on the snow. He immediately sat up, wand ready as he observed his surroundings.

They were at the shrieking shack, or outside of it near the fence that separated it from the trail that led into Hogsmeade. It was deep in the night now and snow flakes fell rapidly as the wind howled around them, whipping Ginny hair around in a fiery halo.

"We need to get back to the castle." He said, standing and with a hand under her arm pulling her to her feet as well.

There would be no relaxing until they were safe within the wards of Hogwarts.

Ginny nodded vigorously, but even as she did so her eyes were straining as she peered into the dark trying to make out a form.

"Harry—Helen, she was here earlier. She was—she was over there. Lying in the snow." Ginny said quietly.

Harry nodded, squaring his jaw slightly as he braced himself and with his wand cast a light out into the dark.

Helen was still lying there in the snow. Her arms and legs splayed out as she lay face down like a broken doll with snow flakes adorning her dark blonde hair that was strewn around her shoulders.

Her hand, even from a distance, could be seen to have a slightly blue pallor.

Ginny made a gasping cry as she rushed over to her. Kneeling beside her, she delicately turned her to where she was facing upward.

Her face was frozen, forever in an awed stare with wide lifeless, once warm brown eyes unseeing but fixated as if still in a trance. Her cheeks slightly blue as well, with no blush brightening her face.

She was completely still, there was no rise in her chest, no breath. Her black coat was still tied tightly around her, sashed at the waist and trailing to her knees. Her fingers barely poked out of the sleeves, it had been Katherine's, her older sister, and it was just slightly too big. She had always said though, that she was sure she would grow into it.

But now she wouldn't.

Ginny was rigid, as she stared, rocked back on her heels, her hands still motionless on the coat's collar she had grabbed to roll Helen over.

Ginny slowly brought her shaking hands to cup her own face as her body began to shudder. Great, harsh sobs like she had never cried before escaped her.

Harry was there with an arm around her shoulders, guiding her to stand again.

"We need to get inside. It's not safe here Ginny," He said softly. He himself having gone pale at the sight of his student lying dead in the snow.

Ginny shook her head, "We need to take her." She muttered, biting her lip as she struggled to reign in her tears and maintain her composure.

Harry looked around, "I don't want to carry a body through town Ginny—we can't afford to be detained. We need to get to Hogwarts." He felt heartless for saying so but knew that it was the truth.

"No." Ginny said defiantly, stepping out of his arm, and crossing her arm over her chest. Tears still trailed down her cheeks but she held her chin high and spoke strongly.

"We _have _to h-her." Her voice breaking ever so slightly on the pronoun.

Harry knew she was struggling to remain strong, and he knew she would not leave her first friend at Hogwarts lying near the shrieking shack.

_The Shrieking Shack_

It echoed again in his mind before he realized he had the solution. "Alright," He said softly. Ginny was surprised at his acquiesce but relieved as well.

He stepped forward and pulled the dead girl up, carrying her like a small child.

Helen wasn't a very big girl, always tall but very lanky. However that night her weight seemed to drag him down, and he tried not to shiver, not from the cold but from the haunting of bearing her corpse back to Hogwarts.

Ginny had closed her eyes, and smoothed down her hair as they walked. A few more tears escaping her own eyes as she gripped the still, cold, lax hand in her own.

She was freezing in only her Quidditch robes, but she didn't feel it very much. It was cold, certainly she felt that, she felt the cold deep into her core—but physically on the outside she just felt numb. Detached as if this was just a fantastic nightmare, but she knew she wasn't that creative.

Going through the shrieking shack and the tunnel until they were on the school grounds underneath the womping willow, they continued in silence.

There was little to be said that could be comforting.

Entering the castle, Harry put a disillusionment charm on her body as they entered. On first glance, a student would not see her, and even if they looked hard would only see her shape. He did not want the information of her death being spread carelessly. Her family deserved better than that.

Ginny entered first, and it was so much like her first year again as her mother immediately swept her into her arms. Only it wasn't—because this time they had been too late. This time couldn't be fixed with a dose of mandrake potion. This time had signified the beginning of a war.

"Oh Ginny—Ginny." Her mother repeated, swaying slightly as she gripped her daughter tightly. Ginny however didn't sigh in annoyance, or roll her eyes, she only hugged her Mum just as tightly back. Clinging like she hadn't since she was a small child, closing her eyes and letting her head rest on the older woman's shoulder.

Harry went over to Dumbledore, still carrying the disillusioned Helen. He removed the charm quietly, facing away from the others in the office and explained to Dumbledore.

Ginny watched from her mother's shoulder as Dumbledore aged tremendously in just one glance at the corpse before her called McGonagall over, who with a stricken look, placed another disillusionment charm and levitated the body as she left the room.

Harry looked at Ginny, straight into her eyes as she and Molly continued to hold one another.

Finally parting with her mother, Ginny went over to him and they sat together in one of the larger chairs, his arm around her as she burrowed into his side, her feet tucked under her. She felt much smaller than she had since she was nine years old.

"What happened exactly Harry?" Sirius finally asked. The others there, Ron, Hermione, Arthur, Heather, Severus, and Remus had been quiet as when they had entered. But they all looked expectantly at them now.

Harry searched for the words as Ginny bluntly said, "He's back."

At the confused stares she received she elaborated quietly, "Voldemort—he's back."

The statement was met with stunned silence until Molly spoke, "Ginny! That's absurd! Now you tell us what happened—I mean that's ridiculous. He can't be back. He just can't be—that's—that's just not possible. Arthur—Arthur, tell her, tell her—that it's—that's it's ridi—"

Molly's voice grew more panicked the more she spoke. "Shh, calm down Molly. It'll be alright." Arthur said, putting hand on his wife's arm and guiding her to a chair that she let herself fall into.

"Ginny, from the beginning if you please." Dumbledore said softly.

She looked at Harry who nodded, tightening his arm around her as she took a deep shuddering breath and began to tell her tale.

"Um—I was in my room, the head girl's room in Slytherin," she clarified. "Susan came and got—"

"Susan O'rielly?" Heather questioned from the corner she stood in, leaning against a book case.

"Yeah, that one." Ginny nodded.

"She came to my room and told me that Helen, Helen Gibbs, wanted to talk to me. Helen and I—we, we—" Ginny paused, her voice growing rougher as she swallowed and bit back tears to keep her composure. "—We hadn't been on the best terms lately." She finished sadly.

"But I wanted to make things right with her. So Susan told me—she said that Helen wanted to talk to me, so I went with her. I thought it was just in the castle—I didn't know at first where we were going," Ginny said defensively.

"But then she said Helen was in Hogsmeade—"

"Ginny," Arthur said disappointedly, a sharp tone in his voice.

"I think chastisement can wait this once Arthur," Dumbledore peered over his half moon spectacles at the patriarch from his chair.

Arthur nodded, still standing beside Molly's chair with his hand reaching down for his wife to hold.

"So you went to Hogsmeade Ginny?" Dumbledore prodded.

"Yes, we took the passage behind the one-eyed witch that goes to Honeyduke's and went from there. She told me she was waiting for us at the shrieking shack. But when we got there—" She stopped, taking an uneven painful gasp of air and wiping beneath her eyes to catch any tears.

"When we got there, I didn't see Helen anywhere. And Susan, she starting acting strangely. I was reaching for my wand when she grabbed my arm, and I asked her where Helen was and she said—she said that she wouldn't be joining us." Ginny said quickly, trying to end the tale.

"And I saw Helen lying in the snow but she was—" She finally dissolved into tears for a moment, Harry rubbing her back soothingly before she used her sleeve to dry the tears before she continued in a much stronger albeit still subdued voice. She no longer wavered however, resolute in telling them what happened.

"She was face down. I couldn't get to her though or do anything before Susan had triggered a portkey and we were taken away."

The room was listening with rapt attention, complete silence other than Ginny's voice.

"At the graveyard I tried to get up and run away, Susan had my wand. But I only dodged two of her hexes before she got me wit and incarerous jinx and I fell. She and this man, I don't know who he was but he was short and fat. He had blue eyes—"

"THAT RAT!" Sirius bellowed, shocking the room.

"Black this is not the time for your ranting." Severus sneered.

Sirius however seemed to either not hear him or no longer care, "First Lily and James and _this_—how could he Remus?" Sirius asked, arms crossed over his chest as he paced.

"Sirius calm down, we need to hear what happened. Peter will face his crimes, but we can't do anything until we know what we're facing. Sit down," Remus said evenly.

Sirius glared and stood instead beside Heather in the corner as he glared, the pain evident in his eyes at the mention of the man who had as good as ended his best friend's life.

Looking back toward the headmaster Ginny sighed before going on, "Peter Pettigrew then?" She looked back toward Remus for conformation.

At his nod she shifted uncomfortably, "Right, well he was there. He and Susan tied me to a headstone, the grave of Voldemort's father." Molly, Ron, Hermione and Arthur both started at the name but Arthur silenced Molly when she was going to tell her daughter not to say it. Ginny had had enough interruptions for the night.

"He had this little bundle. It looked like a baby from a distance, but it was Voldemort. And they tied me up and in front of me was cauldron. They took some of my blood, and bones from the grave, and Peter—he cut off his hand. Then they put him—Voldemort—in the potion and he came out. He came out whole again."

There were many paling faces as everyone grasped the full repercussions of what exactly had happened that night in the graveyard.

"He called his death eaters. And Susan, she never really was Susan. He said she was a Lestrange, and he took away some spells from her. She didn't look fourteen, she looked about twenty something and her hair was black. She didn't look anything like Susan. She never really did I suppose," Ginny said softly.

"Lestrange?" Sirius questioned.

"But the only Lestranges are Bellatrix and Rodulphus, they're both in prison?" Arthur stated.

"I think she's their daughter." Ginny supplied.

"But why did she never come to Hogwarts?" Severus asked.

"Not everyone does," Heather pointed out.

"Ginny," Dumbledore prompted again.

"Right, well he called his death eaters there. I think there were around twelve. And then he said that he had not been dead, but hiding in Albania the whole time. He told them he was angry with them for never coming after him. He said—" She looked toward Harry for permission who nodded.

"He said that reason Harry beat him, when he was a baby, was because his Mum died for him. that her sacrifice protected him. That that protection was somehow tampered with because he used my blood for the potion."

"Albus that's a blood charm I though. How would her blood effect it?" Sirius asked.

"It is, but a soul bond is a powerful thing. It effects all elements of their magic including the protection. Harry's over seventeen anyways now, but that protection still lingers in him, and through the bond also Ginny. Having her blood connects him not only to her but to him as well. The three of them are bound together now, just as before Harry was bound to each of them."

Molly and Arthur looked considerably worse at that news. Ginny however seemed unsurprised, only holding on to Harry a little more tightly.

"Then Harry came, and they dueled," She finished simply.

"Potter dueled the dark lord?" Snape asked snidely.

Sirius glared at him, "The boy is a fully trained auror you twerp—" he began angrily before he was silenced with a harsh look from Dumbledore.

"Where were you?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked.

"Where were you in the grave yard? We—We could have ended this tonight if you had come. Why did just Harry come? Where were you!" She asked vehemently.

"Ginny—we had no idea where you were. Harry, he used your bond to find you and he didn't tell us where he went. We had no idea where you two were." Sirius said.

"What?" Ginny asked, her anger dissolving into confusion.

"They wanted me to see through your eyes like we do sometimes. But on purpose to find you," Harry began to explain.

"But when I focused on you, I felt this pull. And I didn't know what was happening, but some how it took me—I don't know what to call it, it wasn't apparition, but somehow I ended up in the graveyard when I focused on you." Harry explained.

"He just started glowing and then disappeared." Heather added.

Ginny looked skeptical, "Just by focusing on me?"

"The bond is growing," Dumbledore explained.

"You got past the wards?" Hermione finally spoke from the chair she was resting in, her pregnancy now far along.

"Yeah," Harry answered.

"But—but that's impossible!" She cried.

"Nothing is impossible Mrs. Weasley, just unlikely." Dumbledore said kindly to the brunette. Hermione settled back into her seat muttering something about the library.

"I came and we dueled a while—me and him. It ended though, our wands did something strange. We both shot killing curses at one another and they collided and created a cord connecting our wands. And I—I saw my parents," Harry said.

"You saw Lily and James?" Sirius asked with wide eyes.

"They came out of Voldemort's wand, they were like ghosts almost. And then Ginny somehow had freed herself from her headstone and she summoned the portkey while she ran to me and we arrived back in Hogsmeade."

"How did you get unbound?" Arthur asked his daughter.

"They left my wand lying a few feet away from me, so I summoned it into my hand and severed the ropes." She answered simply.

"You summoned your wand wandlessly?" Ron asked skeptically.

"Well—yes."

"Impressive Ginny," Sirius said, showing a weak smile. He seemed more exhausted than Harry ever remembered him, the new of Voldemort's return clearly taking away so much of his vitality.

"If that's all Headmaster—" Harry began, clearly seeking rest as he and Ginny were both in need of it.

"Yes, of course you and Ginny may leave. Go to the hospital wing, Minevra told Poppy to expect you."

Nodding Harry stood, supporting Ginny as they left the office, arms around one another's waists.

They didn't speak a word to one another, they were both to tired to want to speak, simply going to the infirmary in comforting silence and receiving a quick check over which assured them to be in fine health just tired.

They still however were asked to stay over night.

Curling up on one of the small hospital beds Ginny put both her arms around Harry as he did her, and resting her head on his shoulder she quickly fell asleep. She was too tired to worry about anything much at that moment, and needing to escape before the grief could return about her first friend who she could never now make amends with.

During the early morning, when the sun had not yet risen and the moon was still out in a dark night, Ginny woke.

Harry was still comfortably sleeping, intertwined with her as he unconsciously held her.

She took a moment to study his face, so peaceful in sleep and reassuring after the nightmare she had just had of one of Voldemort's killing curses colliding with him.

Terrified from her dream and too restless to go back to sleep, she rose to get a cup of water.

Standing near the pitcher and quietly sipping the cool liquid, she looked out of the window over the grounds.

Although not full, the moon was bright and it lit the grounds in an almost eerie way.

She could make out a figure, sitting on one of the large rocks near the lake. She paused rigidly, alarmed and worried it was an agent of Voldemort come to kill them.

But then as she looked closer she realized she knew who it was, it was Heather.

Heather sitting with her trunk beside her, staring out into the lake as if in a trance.

Gathering her robe tightly around herself, and borrowing Harry's cloak, Ginny shifted into her shoes and made her way there.

She hardly cared about the patrol hours, deciding most of the Professors were likely distracted tonight. She reached the main door and slipped out, a grip on her wand just in case.

She approached the boulder but Heather never turned, simply sitting and staring.

When she finally was only but an arm' length away she noticed the bottle of fire whiskey clutched in the other girl's hand.

She sad beside her and they both just enjoyed the view for a moment, the moon reflected in the water creating a painting of the sky in front of them.

It was Heather who eventually spoke, "You know this was my last year in my mastery. After this I was going to leave and go traveling for a while—all around the world. Just to get out of England, see something. I'm twenty six and I've barely experienced anything. I just wanted to go be on my own, see something. I guess it sounds stupid—selfish, but now that this damn wars starting again—" She paused to raise the fire whisky to her lips and taste a long sip.

Ginny reached over for the bottle and encountered little resistance, but as she herself took a swig she began to splutter. "That's horri—ble." She coughed, "How'd you drink that?"

Heather gave her a rueful smile, "Practice."

Ginny passed the bottle back to Heather with a grimace, the latter taking another sip.

They sat there in silence for a moment again.

"I really don't want to die Gin." Heather said softly.

Ginny nodded, "Me neither, at least—not until I've lived some. Someday I do, when I'm old though."

"You want to die someday?" Heather asked, eyebrow raised.

"I would never want to live forever, it would be lonely. And you would find yourself eventually in a time you don't understand with people you don't know," Ginny said.

Heather nodded, "I suppose. I don't really want to live forever, I just don't want to die tomorrow. There's just so much I've always wanted to do and now, I'll probably never get the chance. I don't want to watch my friends die, my family die, I don't want to fight. I don't. I just wish we could all just leave! I don't want to be buried and I don't want to have to bury anyone! I don't want to die, and to see all the people—I don't want this! Over a damn lost war!" Heather cried, some bitter tears escaping her.

"Heather—we could win you know—" Ginny started.

Heather laughed bitterly interrupting her, "That's what they thought last time too—and they were slaughtered. They were only saved by a freak accident that left my brother and I orphans. So many people forget, Harry he was only a few months over a year old, but me, I was going to turn four in a few months. I remember the night—" She broke off, her voice cracking some.

"We don't stand a chance if _he's_ anything like last time." She said.

Ginny swallowed, "Voldemorts back Heather. I mean—that's the truth. I don't know—maybe we will all die, but I think I'd rather die here, trying to do something–something good, worthwhile than live a long life knowing I never tried."

Heather shrugged, "I'm not going to run away Ginny. You don't need to convince me. Obviously it crossed my mind—" She said gesturing to the suitcase. "—But I could never leave you like that, any of you."

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and wiping away a few tears, "I'm just—I'm afraid. I'm absolutely terrified, I tried to go to sleep tonight and I had dream—all of your were covered in blood, and in this mass grave and—I woke up screaming. It hasn't even really started yet and—I don't think I can take this. I'm not my Mum even though I look like her, I was never strong like her and I can't fight this for her.

I'm scared. I don't care if it's a cowardly thing to say, that's how I feel. I don't want this." Heather said, hysterical towards the end.

Ginny sighed, "Well if it's a cowardly way to feel then I'm a coward too."

Heather passed the whiskey back to Ginny who this time swallowed with only a small frown.

"They always compare me to her, we do look so much alike. But I think it's only skin deep. I've always hated that you know. Hated being compared to someone so perfect, I felt like I could never live up to her. Everyone always thought that they had another Lily, we do look like damn identical twins just about, but then they would get to know me and the disappointment would set in. But it sounds so terrible, so ungrateful. I'm so angry at my dead mother for being so damn perfect—it really does sounds heartless. I guess maybe it is." Heather said quietly.

"I'm happy you're here," Ginny said, putting a hand on her shoulder and sitting there another moment looking at the lake.

She then rose from her seat and started to make her way back to the castle.

When she was a few steps away she stopped and turned back, "Heather?"

"I'll see you at breakfast Ginny," she said, still facing the lake.

Ginny nodded, taking her leave as she snuck back into the infirmary and settled beside a still asleep Harry.

It was drizzling slightly, not cold enough to snow but cold enough to feel freezing the day they buried Helen.

She had always loved purple orchids, and they were everywhere. Draping over, around and in front of the coffin and surrounding her head stone.

Her parents were quiet, stone like faces numb with loss but her sister Katherine, Ginny's former roommate was bawling, showing more emotion than Ginny had ever seen the other girl have.

Gwen wasn't crying, she was just sitting there quietly, seeming angry. Ginny had told Sylvia and Gwen what had happened, they hadn't believed her at first, but when she kept explaining they began to realize she was serious.

Gwen simply looked mad at the world for what had happened.

Sylvia had a few tears leaking down her cheek, the first loss of her indifferent sarcasm Ginny had ever seen her have.

Ginny herself had already cried her tears. She had wept and wept after returning to the infirmary a few nights ago after speaking to Heather. Harry had even woken from how hard she had cried, they hadn't said anything to each other. No words needed, just the comforting presence of having the other person there.

Sitting beside Harry at the funeral, she laid her head on his shoulder and they watched as the speeches, the songs and tears all came to pass. None of it replacing the girl they were laying in the ground.

A month went by.

Soon it was time for Christmas holidays. They would be much more subdued this year, with the order already preparing for war.

The ministry was refusing to accept the truth, something that frustrated Harry to no end.

Ginny didn't worry too much about it, as she said they were inept anyways so what aid could they really give?

It wasn't long before they were sitting in the burrow, drinking hot chocolate at the table when a floo call came in from a nervous looking Ron.

"Hermione—she's gone into labor!" He practically shouted into the kitchen.

"Oh—_oh! _Well lets go to St. Mungos, up—up you! Fred come on! Move, move—Arthur—Oh where is Arthur?"

"He's in the shed, I'll go get him Mum," Ginny said, laughing slightly at Molly's antics.

She went back to the shed, always a special place between her father and her, where he had taught her about his latest projects.

Arthur was there, glass slipping of his nose as he inspected a plug.

"Dad, Hermione's having the baby!" Ginny smiled, happy to have something to smile about.

"What Ginny love?" Her Dad asked, still engrossed in the plug.

"DAD!" She shouted, still laughing and smiling.

He looked up a little startled, "Hermione is having the baby!" She said a huge grin still on her face.

"Oh—_oh_! Well let's go then!" He came and took Ginny's arm as they marched back into the house.

Heather was grabbing the camera and a few blankets for people while they waited, George had some pillows and Harry was just trying not to be run over from all the people hustling about.

"Come on!" Molly was gesturing them into the floo which they were each running into in different pairs.

Finally it was Harry and Ginny's turn, as usual he fell out of it taking Ginny with him and they landed in a laughing heap in St. Mungos.

Soon they were in the waiting area where they sat for next eight hours.

The blankets and pillows had been spread around and everyone except Molly was nodding off when Ron carrying a little bundle wrapped in blue, appeared in the door way.

He cradled the child like a glass that would shatter any moment, so delicately.

"Mum, meet your grandson," he said softly handing the sleeping baby to her.

"Ah, he's so precious," Molly said, smiling.

She held the baby for a few moments, Arthur looking over her shoulder before she passed it back to Ron.

"We're calling him Arthur," Ron said. His Dad had a few tears in the eyes has he clapped him on the back.

"Oh Ronald," Molly said happily.

Ron took they baby again just as gently before going over to Ginny and Harry.

"The godparents need to hold him to," He said.

"Godparents?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded, "Hermione and I both decided, no one better."

Ginny took the baby, a little unsurely but Ron showed her how to hold him.

"I'm going to go check on Hermione, I'll be right back." He said smiling still.

"He looks just like Ron," Harry said looking over at the baby.

"He really does—poor bastard," Heather said.

"Heather!"

"What? I was just joking—Merlin can't you people take joke!"


	26. Chapter 26

**Three Years Later**

"I'm going to kill him!"

"Gwen, you've been saying that for two years," Ginny pointed out in a bored tone as she looked out of the window.

"This time I mean it," the brunette huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she fell into her seat with a glare on her face.

"What'd he even do now?" Ginny asked, looking at the compartment door and wondering where Sylvia was.

It was hard for her to believe this was likely the last time she would ever ride the Hogwarts Express. The last weeks of her seventh year had passed in such a blur of studying for N.E.W.T.S that she had barely had any time to contemplate that her schooling was over.

"He just—argh! He's such an asshole." Gwen snapped brining Ginny back to their current topic, the ever recurring theme of her fights with Greg.

Gwen and Greg had started seeing each other in fifth year, and although they had broken up too many times to count it always felt like they were together even when the two had been dating others as Gwen always was whenever they were off.

"Argh just isn't articulate enough to really tell me anything," Ginny said wryly.

"Well we were just talking about how our exams went when I said that Kenneth Stevens was in front of me for Trans and I thought he had done well. And _then—_Greg starting going on about that. He got really short with me and when I asked him what his problem was he told me that I was flirt and why don't I just go talk to Stevens and ask him what his problem is! I'm so tired—he's just such an over sensitive bloody idiot!" Gwen ranted.

Ginny rolled her eyes, they both acted like this with each other. If either brought up in member of the opposite sex even in a passing comment all the sudden one was accused of some sort of affair. Of course that wasn't the only thing they fought about, they fought about everything.

When they were on—they were on, their public displays of affection sappy to the point of making Sylvia mime vomiting with an alarming frequency to the point that the Professors began to think she had some sort of swallowing issue.

But when they were off, they were _off_—having screaming rows in the hallways and Gwen slapping him while he threatened to hex her.

Everyone was very used to the routine by now.

Ginny picked up the prophet as Sylvia walked in, looking tired.

"Has anyone noticed how crowded this train is? It's ridiculous. They need to make train corridors wider," She said irritatedly.

Gwen shrugged, still pouting over Greg.

"There's been another attack on the coast down south, thirty muggles dead. The Muggle Ministry was trying to make it out to be a gas leak or something but as this rate they can't keep covering up these massacres. Deatheaters keep it up and we won't be a secret anymore." Sylvia said gesturing to the prophet Ginny was reading which on the front page sported the dark mark hovering in the sky.

Voldemort had been quiet the first two years of his return, gathering strength while the ministry who under the previous minister Fudge had refused to see the truth. Then when he was as strong as he had been at the height of his power in the seventies, he attacked. He massacred. And the whole wizarding world was shocked by what Dumbledore had been trying to tell them for two years.

This past year the order had been busier than ever. Moments with Heather and Sirius were now cherished as they along with Remus, Tonks, Hermione, Arthur Sr. and Ron were always gone on missions for the Order.

Still Heather and Sirius seemed to always be gone the longest, working the missions that required weeks if not months away and a high degree of danger.

Harry had taken over Sirius's position as the Defense teacher, he was no the sole professor as Sirius had had to resign to work for the Order more.

"I don't know, but if this war continues the whole worlds going to burn," Ginny said quietly, still staring off into the distance.

"Wow, and Sylvia's supposed to be the morbid one," Gwen grinned.

Ginny rolled her eyes, trying to lighten the atmosphere even though she didn't feel light at all in her heart. Her entire family was in the order, and the person most important to her in the entire world was at the top of target list. It was hard to feel light these days.

Harry had become more brooding than ever, he suspected Dumbledore was with-holding some kind of information from him and it was quickly making him angry.

She wasn't sure what he could really not tell him now, the prophecy which Harry had told her two years ago still chilled her to the bone.

_Neither can live while the other survives_

But she had to believe that he would be the one to survive, the alternative was simply to heartbreaking for her to contemplate. She never let herself think that they might not win.

She wasn't naive, not anymore. She knew she could die, and she knew Harry could die. She knew they could loose the entire war. But she never let herself think it, it remained an un-explored possibility because she knew the moment she really let herself contemplate failure was when she would loose her hope.

When Voldemort came out into the open, and Kingsley, a man she didn't know well but respected nonetheless, who had always been so kind to her when she did see him was killed in the raid she had simply stared out of the window.

Somehow it was different with Kingsley than Helen.

With Helen she had certainly been more devastated, after-all Helen was one of her closest friends while Kingsley was just a good acquaintance . But somehow, strong, tall, fighting, auror trained, unbreakable Kinglsey who had fought in the first war—it was his death that made everything seem so much more bleak.

If they could kill someone so able, so skilled, so noble, then who couldn't they take from her? He had been Harry's mentor during his Auror training, he had trained Harry. And if Voldemort could kill him, then what would happen to Harry?

Of course at the time she had been to upset to be thinking properly. Harry actually was, for all Kingsley's prowess, more powerful and stood just as good of a chance of surviving. He had been trained his entire life for this possible eventuality after all.

But that had been the first time she had lost hope, and after Harry had drug her into another training session and she had been jolted back to life in the thrill of a duel, she realized she couldn't think like that again.

A few months after his return, in the second term of her fourth year was when Ginny realized she needed to start learning much more.

She hadn't even had to ask Harry, as if they were in the same mind he had brought it up that very night. He had told her the importance of learning to defend herself and the extra training she would need to be safe in the war that was about to start. A war she knew he would have like to keep her entirely out of but knew better than to try.

And so she began meeting him, four days a week for two, sometimes three hours of learning everything she could about any kind of magic that might help her fight and survive.

She still wasn't sure thought if she was ready for a real fight, not the intense yet still playful duels she had with Harry, but a real fight to the death—that frightened her, even if she would never admit it. The idea of being a murderer to anyone, even a death eater, bothered her. But then again so did the thought of being killed. In this war she knew, she could only have one option or the other.

"Merlin—he's snogging Worchester near the loo! That—this is it! We are never ever getting back together, never. Not a snow ball's chance in hell—we are done!" Gwen announced coming back into the compartment.

Ginny and Sylvia glanced up to catch each others eyes.

_Four days until they're together again?_

_Nah—I give it two. _

They both went back to their own thoughts after their silent conversation.

It was warm and muggy when she stepped off the train. Her long hair was sticking slightly to her skin as she looked around for them. They weren't hard to spot, her Mum's more orange shade of hair than her own always serving as a beacon, and beside her stood Harry.

He had apparated from Hogwarts, having resigned from his post as Professor now that Ginny had graduated. He had liked teaching, said he might return to it someday, but now he had a war to fight. A war he was tired of being kept out of so much by Dumbledore.

His black hair as messy as ever, he was twenty seven now, and she was seventeen.

This was the age she had always thought about.

But now that it was here, that she was legally and adult and out of school, now that there was no reason for them not to be together completely—she wasn't sure what to do.

The past few years she had certainly thought about it, but there had always been so much stress and so little time that she hadn't dwelled on thoughts of non-existent romance. He had told her how he felt that night in the kitchens during fourth year, and she had always respected that. Even when she didn't want to.

She hadn't ever really forgotten the spark of uncomfortableness in his eyes when she had kissed him three years ago. How guilty he looked.

It didn't seem right, at least not to him.

But what had really changed now? Yes numerically she was a little different in years, and legally she was an adult, but did he see her that way? Would he ever see her that way? She wanted him so badly, but she never really ever felt more from him than an almost familial affection. He had told her then, in the kitchen that night that he did, but she wasn't sure she believed it.

She hadn't had too much time to worry about this her seventh year, but now that it was over and there was no excuse anymore of why they couldn't be together, she found herself feeling more awkward and unsure than she had since she was eleven.

She hated the feeling, it was miserable. She had promised herself though that she would not act like she was eleven, it was ridiculous to feel all of this anxiety over someone who was already legally married to her anyways, she constantly told herself.

She jostled through the crowd until she reached the two of them where they were standing some ten meters away.

"Ginny," Her mum engulfed her in a hug, stepping back to pat her cheek with a teary smile.

"It's so hard to believe it, all done with school and everything." Molly smiled. It was just her and Harry there to get her, in past years it would have been a family affair, but now it was just who could make it. Who wasn't fighting somewhere, who wasn't working late in a battered, tired, failing ministry, and who wasn't trying to wrangle a three year old boy into behaving.

Harry smiled too, as he grabbed her trunk and the three of them left to find somewhere to apparate. She had her license, although she still hated the feeling. She had worked on apparating for dueling purposes, it had taken her months however of doing it before she was able to do so without being so disoriented that she immediately lost the duel on reappearance.

They landed outside the burrow however, all in one piece.

Walking into the house Ginny was surprised to see almost all of her family waiting for her in the kitchen.

"I thought you were all busy!" She cried in surprise, smiling as Charlie pulled her into a hug.

"Nah—we wouldn't miss your final homecoming," Ron said smiling.

"Ginny!"

"Umph," Grunted as little Arthur, her three year old godson launched himself at her, hitting her in the stomach rather hard as he hugged her.

"Mummy said you were coming!" He smiled at his aunt and Godmother.

"She did! Looks like she was right," She smiled back hugging her nephew.

"Mummy is always right." Arthur said, there were several warm looks from all the women at this proclamation. "How cute," Molly said softly.

"Daddy said even when Mummys not right that we have to—" Arthur began but was interrupted by his father, Ron.

"So—Ginny. How was the—um—the train?" Ron asked loudly, looking away from Hermione who was trying to glare at him but the uplifting corners of her mouth betrayed her amusement.

"Oh you know—the usual, red, large, with an engine," Ginny laughed, rolling her eyes.

Soon everyone had dispersed into the yard and was relaxing where the tables were set out as they waited for dinner which was almost ready.

Heather and Sirius had even made it.

Even though she had gotten it in a duel a year ago, Heather was still so self-conscious about the long, thick, ugly scar that went from the bottom of her right eye down to her jaw. She had been lucky to live, and the magic had been to dark to reverse the scarring. She constantly traced her finger there and drew her now short, barely shoulder length hair around it.

Heather, Hermione and Ginny sat around a lone table over under the large tree in the Weasley's yard. Ginny wasn't much paying attention to their conversation as she snuck glances at Harry who was over with Ron and Bill. Bill's five year old daughter Victiorie sat on his lap as he and Ron laughed at something which had Harry rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

Heather and Hermione were discussing something about the Prophet when Heather changed the topic.

"Keep moving your eyes that direction and they'll get stuck that way," Heather said in a teasing voice as she grinned at Ginny.

Ginny shook her head, "Sorry what were you saying?" She asked, hoping to defer Heather by appearing unembarrassed.

"Don't try to change the subject," Hermione added. Ginny groaned, she had been counting on Hermione wanting to discuss some serious matter in an erudite manner rather than giggle over boys—or men as the case actually was.

"Come on Ginny, we've all been only waiting—oh, eight years now for you two to finally get together." Heather said, smiling kindly.

"Really, we even have a bet going."

"Hermione!" Ginny lightly swatted her sister-in-law on the arm.

"What? You're an adult now, all done with school and everything. There's nothing wrong with it," Hermione laughed.

"I guess." Ginny snuck a look over at him again, this time meeting his eyes. He sent her a wink which reduced Hermione and Heather to a giggle fit worthy of preteens. This only confused Harry but Ginny couldn't answer his questioning glance so she simply looked away with a smile.

"Stop it you two. You're being ridiculous, how old are you two now?" Ginny asked, a slight blush tinging her cheeks.

A nice breeze whipped some of Ginny's hair into her face as she sat back with her sisters, looking over at the rest of her family who were all in various little groups, but all smiling at being together.

"I don't know how to go about it," Ginny finally said after a few moment contented silence.

"About what?" Heather asked.

Ginny shrugged, "Anything like—like that. I don't know. It's all just a little weird. I've just been waiting for this for so long it feels like, and now that it's here, now that there aren't any excuses, I don't know what to do really." Ginny said worriedly, wringing her hands.

Hermione patted her hand sympathetically, "I know how you feel. I never dated anyone before Ron. I was always felt so unsure when we first started dating, but it was okay in the end."

"Really the only person you've ever dated is my brother? Hermione—I'm so sorry," Ginny said in mock solemnity. Hermione lightly smacked the back of her head.

"You two and your Ron jokes," She shook her head as Heather and Ginny high fived.

"No but really, it'll come natural," Hermione added.

"And besides, Harry only ever dated that one Cho girl anyways, and she seemed like a bit of a prude so I don't think he's captain experience either," Heather added.

"Heather, you think everyone's a prude." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I like being a slag, it makes life more interesting I think," Heather said airily.

Ginny sighed, "It's a little different I think with me and Harry though. I mean it _has _to work with us. We're already legally married, and we've known each other so long, it's all just so much harder than a normal relationship. And I don't know what to do now, does he want to move forward or stay like we are for now or what?" Ginny ranted.

"I really don't think you'll have to wait long for your answer Ginny, the kids a twenty seven year old virigin—_eww_—Merlin I can't believe I just said that about my brother." Heather shuddered.

"Still, like I was saying—he's been waiting a long time. I don't think you'll hear any complaints from him about a physical relationship." She continued.

"Thank you Heather for putting that in such crude terms," Hermione shook her head.

"Aside from all of—_that_. I do think she's right, Harry is getting older now and I'm sure he's been thinking about having a romantic partner more and more. And he always knew it would be you so I don't think this will as much of a transition for him actually as it will be for you," Hermione said earnestly.

Heather shrugged, "Either way, I bet you two are snogging before week's end."

"Thank you Heather," Ginny said sarcastically, blushing a little bit.

"What if he still—and always will see me as a little kid though, his little sister?" Ginny expressed one of her deepest doubts.

"I don't think he has seen you since a little sister since you were about fourteen," Heather told her reassuringly.

"Besides you could always seduce him," added Hermione.

"Hermione!" Ginny cried, laughing so hard she almost fell out of her chair.

"Who knew the dirty mind behind all of that bookishness," Heather grinned.

"This has been the weirdest conversation I've ever had," Ginny said.

"Feel better?" Heather asked.

"Yeah, I mean you're right—I can always seduce Harry," Ginny joked sarcastically, a teasing light tone in her voice as she rolled her eyes.

"Ginny is seducing Harry!" A voice cried out loudly to the left.

They turned to see little Arthur who had been playing under the tree.

Unfortunately his small shout had carried all across the yard and now her entire family, and Harry, were all looking over at the three women with bewildered expressions.

Fred was about to fall over trying to contain his laughter in the moment of awkward silence that passed over the yard.

"He meant inducing," Heather yelled. "Ginny is inducing Harry."

"Heather, that doesn't really sound much better," Ginny whispered before she finally started laughing, the situation a little too comical for her to even feel embarrassed about.

Besides, she thought, it's not like everyone didn't already suspect she was planning that anyways, and the only person who didn't needed a clearer picture knocked into his messy black head of hair anyways.

**Please review. **

**Sorry for the delay in updating, very little time as of late. I haven't even had the time hardly to go over the newly edited chapter that my beta, the amazing Melginnylover, has sent me to post yet. So please forgive the wait. **

**Next chapter we really get into the war, the romance and back into the chapter, this one was kind of a set up and catch up chapter. **

**Some real HG romance coming up, we've only waited what now—twenty something chapters! **


	27. Chapter 27

It was a warm night, the air heavy and humid as they trekked through downtown London.

It was always several apparation points to get to Order meetings, and their destination in Northern Scotland was still far away.

"I'll apparate us this time," Ginny said, reaching over to take Harry's gloved hand. She was dressed casually, a muggle top with no sleeves covered by a light jacket that still felt too warm for southern London, however it would prove appropriate when they finally reached Harry's childhood home.

Harry raised his eyebrows at her, a smirk playing slightly across his features in a look that was so defiantly James Potter it would have given Sirius a flashback had he been with them.

Ginny seeing his look slapped him on the arm with a scowl. "I'm perfectly capable," she said, jutting out her chin and gripping his hand a little tighter.

"I didn't say anything," he said, still a grin painted on his lips.

"You implied." She said, pointing her finger at him and punctuating each word with a light jab to his chest.

He rolled his eyes playfully but before he could complete the gesture, they had reached the end of the alley and he found himself being carried away in the familiar feeling of apparation.

"Not bad, not bad," he said, looking around to their surroundings in a dark, somewhat eerie wood.

"This place always gives me the creeps. Let's not put it on our jump list anymore," she said, turning to Harry with a frown as the wind whistled. She was very glad to have worn her jacked now.

"We've only used this place one other time, how can it _always _give you the creeps?" he asked with a laugh.

"You are in far too good a mood tonight, you know it?" Ginny said, arching an eyebrow.

"I can't be held accountable for the crazy things you say," he replied as they walked briskly down the dark, but well worn path into the thicket where the dense foliage of trees created a shelter around them.

"I'll take this one," Harry said.

Ginny looked over him from beneath her lashes as a breeze stirred through the trees blowing her long hair across her face.

"Come on, you did the last one, besides you can't argue that it is a _little _smoother with an experienced apparator." Harry replied.

Her glare was lost to the vacuum of magic as they left the little forrest behind and re-appeared on the doorstep of an old blue house.

Harry reached up, and grasping the lion door knocker rapped it against the wood three solid times.

"Who cometh to the dooreth?" A voice rang out.

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Ron, dooreth was never a word even in the middle ages! At this rate I'm going to get Mad Eye to get a new door keeper for these things!"

Harry chuckled a little bit.

"Oh, c'mon Gin. Don't be such a kill joy! Just because your 'seduction' techniques—"

"December!" Ginny cut him off.

"—Aren't quite working—"

"DECEMBER!" She shouted, very red in the cheeks by Ron's referral to the incident the previous night. It was not really a joking matter, although if it had happened to Ron then she would have been taking the mickey out of him at every opportunity, but that wasn't the point.

"Okay, okay. You said the pass word, now you may passeth." He said solemnly, going back to what he liked to refer to his 'knight' tone.

As soon as she was in the threshold Ginny knocked him upside the head. "Passeth isn't a word either!" She said disgruntled.

Ron sent her a sour look as he rubbed his head.

She glared at him.

"C'mon, the meeting about to start," Harry said, speaking in her ear and forcing her to move past her brother down the hall.

The house hadn't changed much, still the white and pale blue walls with the tall ceilings that created such an airy, willowy atmosphere radiating a certain calm. A calm that didn't really fit into a war meeting for a secret militia of vigilantes, but a calm nonetheless.

It was homey though, like it always had been. Heather's coat strewn about the stair case beside her muddy boots. Pictures of a little black haired boy and girl with dark red hair, both sharing the same striking green eyes, lined the walls.

They trudged further down the hallway until they reached a wide open arch that led into the formal dining room that Harry had never used until the Order began to meet in his home, where a long table sat with high backed chairs.

Sirius sat at the right hand side of Albus, looking grayer and more exhausted since the last time they had seen him.

Although on sight of the two he grinned, the gesture lighting up his face ever so slightly and giving it that touch of youth that had been so lacked by his visage in just the previous moment.

Albus just gave them a benign smile, the twinkled lessened his eyes.

While Heather turned to them with a brilliant grin, just like her godfather, but it was lessened by the wide, ugly red scarring across her face than it would have been in previous years.

Her short hair was pulled back, a small bob of it trailing to right above her shoulder. Not the same hip length hair that had been burned off as one of the many results the two years of this war had yielded. But Heather was alive, and that was more than some could say.

"What've we missed?" Harry asked, as he sat down beside Ginny who took a seat beside Heather.

Sirius who was sitting on Heather's other side leaned over to grumble, "Just some of Mad-eye's raving."

"He put Ron on door duty," Ginny said sourly.

"Well it beats him doing it doesn't it? I don't know about you but I really don't fancy all the invasive questioning he always thinks is necessary," Heather reminded her wryly.

Ginny shrugged, "At least he doesn't say dooreth."

"Did Meilhart return yet from the giants?" Harry asked.

"We're talking about it tonight," Sirius said quietly.

Ginny hadn't really been a regular member, technically this was her first real meeting. After all the Order was supposed to be limited to those out of school, but against her mother's protest she had been allowed to attend this last six months whenever she could.

She knew however, even not being a regular attendee, that something was wrong.

Maybe it was the hard set of her father's mouth, or the stonier look of Mad-eye, or maybe even the faded twinkle in Dumbledore, but something wasn't right.

Those looks usually meant that someone had died.

"Snape comin' tonight," Heather muttered with a frown. He couldn't always come, sometimes his double roll prevented it.

"He's not so bad," Ginny responded quietly. A faint buzz of conversation was throughout the entire room as people talked in their own little groups waiting for the meeting to begin.

Heather shook her head. "He's not!" Ginny defended.

Then the cluck struck ten, loudly with a chime that seemed to echo around the room and everyone took their seats rather strait backed, the room having gone abruptly silent.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said, in a light, medium tone that seemed to carry throughout the room despite it's low volume.

"We convene tonight the three hundred and seventy seventh meeting of the Order of the Phoenix," he said, gravely surveying the crowd.

Ginny eyed Snape coming in late through the door and standing off into the shadows of the corner, Heather seemed to also as she sent a glare that direction.

"I am regretful," He began, his voice faltering very uncharacteristically.

"I am regretful—" He began again. "—to tell you that," he paused looking up, and swallowing.

"To inform you that two of our number will no longer be joining us here for these meetings." He said, hearing the unsteady releases and gasps of breath from the other members.

Ginny looked around worriedly, catching many people doing the same as they tried to figure out who it was that was missing.

"Kirk and Eliza Williams—" As she heard the name Ginny was ashamed to acknowledge that she felt relieved.

She hadn't known the Williams well, it wouldn't break her heart like it would a close friend. But she was still ashamed, these people had died to protect people like her, and her family, and of course Harry, and she felt relieved it had been them instead of someone else.

Of course, to someone, they were that someone else, and judging by the wails coming from some of the members, they certainly were missed.

"—they fought bravely, never giving him the information he was trying to gain—" Not very many people were listening to the headmaster though, they were all sorting through their own thoughts about the war, death, their own loved ones, and the Williams.

After a few moments Dumbledore concluded, "I would like to have a moment of silence now to honor them. I know they deserve so much more, but I feel this would—this would be a way for everyone right now to remember them." He finished, bowing his head so that his glasses slipped slightly on his cooked nose.

Everyone followed suit, Ginny didn't close her eyes however instead staring at her lap.

There were still some sniffling and cries coming down from the far end of the table, choked sobs trying to be swallowed down.

She didn't remember the Williams much, they had always been off on some mission. And they were in their early forties, too young to be close to her parent's and too old to be close to her brothers or her.

They had no children, she remembered overhearing Sarah Right one time say that Mrs. Williams having suffered too much damage internally from a nasty hex during the first war could not bear a child.

They had given up so much to fight against Voldemort, and Ginny just didn't understand sometimes how such a price could be given, everything could be sacrificed and they could still be defeated.

It hardly went along with the children's stories she had heard not too long ago, when she still believed the good guys always won and the price was always worth it. She wasn't so sure now.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said, a deep breath before he began again in a tone that left some of the softness behind to avoid breaking. "Severus if you please, I believe you have some information to share."

Severus glared slightly, clearly having expected Dumbledore to tell them whatever it was, but strode to the front nevertheless.

And looking at the tired headmaster, she didn't think he had it in him to tell Snape's report even if he had wanted to.

Snape looked at them all with a long face, his mouth set into an unpleasant hard line.

"The Dark Lord has been out of the country lately. I believe he is abroad in Europe, but I could be mistaken—"

"But what's—" Ron began to interrupt.

"If you would stop uttering nonsense perhaps you would find out," Snape said coldly.

Ron glared slightly but fell silent.

"There are rumors that he visited Gregovitch," Snape said, eyeing Dumbledore while he did. The headmaster's expression never changed, giving away nothing.

"Gregovitch, the wand-maker? Why would he visit him?" Remus asked.

"There are other rumors, that Gregovitch—that he has the elder wand," Snape said.

The whole room went even more silent before erupting into protest.

"The elder—"

"That's impossible—"

"Doesn't even exist—

"Just a child's tale—"

"If he got it he would be unbeatable—"

"SILENCE!" Severus yelled, a vein pulsing in his forehead.

"I assure you the elder wand is very much real, and if the Dark Lord gets it, there will be no stopping him." His voice was barely above a whisper but it held everyone captivated.

Several eyes strayed to Harry, knowing that if Voldemort attained the wand, he would be the one who would be facing it.

Ginny reached under the table to grasp Harry's hand. He squeezed her hand gently as an acknowledgement but never took his eyes of Snape.

Snape likewise was looking at him with a blank expression before he turned back to the rest of the audience.

"From what I have gathered, the rumors of Gregovitch having the wand are just that—rumors, we are safe for now. The elder wand is safe," Snape concluded.

"You know where it is." Hermione said, looking up at him knowing she was right.

Snape inclined his head to her, "It is in the safest hands it could be in to keep it from the Dark Lord. My own memory has been erased of where exactly it is so I cannot betray it, but it is safe." He said solemnly before striding back over to his corner where he disappeared somewhat in the shadows.

Hermione's eyes travelled ever so slightly to where Dumbledore was, but Ginny doubted anyone noticed but herself. It did make sense after all.

"So if the wand is real are the rest of the hallows?" Hermione asked.

Dumbledore spoke, "Something that has been asked for centuries, but alas the answer remains a mystery."

Though Hermione seemed to believe him Ginny was more skeptical, she was certain the answer was more complicated and Dumbledore knew far more about it than he was letting on.

Dumbledore sat again at the head of the table, "Recently we have been seeing an increase in Dementors..."

The meeting was long and very much more of what they already knew—they were loosing and people were dying.

No one however was able to completely relax after Snape's report, all of them thinking on the ramifications of Voldemort ever attaining a such a powerful tool that many of them still believed a myth, that didn't stop them from fearing it though.

They always finished meetings the same way, asking if anyone knew any new members. At the beginning there had always been teams of people with friends who wanted to join. Now there was hardly ever a hand raised when that question was asked.

Nevertheless, Ginny raised her hand, upholding the promise she had made. Her entire family, minus Heather, glanced at her in surprise.

"Yes Ginevra?" Dumbledore asked, using her full name as he was prone to do.

"I know of two people," she said, looking him directly in the eye.

"And what do they know of the order or you involvement?" He asked, like he always did when someone suggested an inductee.

"Very little. I have never directly told them anything, but they have inferred that I am involved somehow and have told me that they would like to join."

"_Directly_?" Snape asked from his corner.

"They wondered where I disappeared to Professor, of course I made excuses but after a while they saw through it and it was not hard for people who spent so much time with me to put two and two together," Ginny responded flatly.

"Who are these two you speak of?" Mad-eye asked, already fingering the veritaserum he kept handy on his belt.

"Gwendolyn Vanderbell and Syvlia Quinn," she stated, and of course then the objections were raised.

"But they're Slytherins!"

"Vanderbell? Aren't they death eaters?"

"I remember Quinn, always reading, wasn't she into Dark Arts?"

Ginny tried to keep track of everything being said before finally giving up and just yelling, "SHUT IT."

She looked around the table a little flushed in the face and eyes shining with anger.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, how dare you—" Molly began but was hushed by Heather. The older woman looked around bewilderedly for a moment before realizing who it was had made the hushing noise, but it was too late, her rant was ended. All she could do was scowl.

"How can you protest on the grounds that they're Slytherins? I'm a Slytherin! And last I checked Snape was head of Slytherin House! Yes, the Vanderbells are death eaters, but Gwen was disowned seven years ago and hasn't talked to her parents since. She is no death eater, and Sylvia _has never_ been involved in dark arts. I don't even know where anyone would hear that!" Ginny said vehemently, a little flushed in the face.

Professor Dumbledore inclined his head, "I for one would be perfectly willing to except these members."

No one openly contradicted him but there were few mummers of support.

Looking slightly disappointed Dumbledore proceeded with the process, already largely knowing the outcome.

"All in favor of these joining?" He asked, Ginny and few other hands raised, most notably Hermione, Heather, Sirius and she was very relieved to see Harry.

However the still majority, with her own mother voting with them, vetoed the membership.

She fumed while they began to depart.

Hermione gave her a sympathetic glance.

"Well, don't take it too hard. They've vetoed some of the members I've suggested too. And maybe it's better this way, at least you won't have to worry about them so much. The order isn't exactly safe," Heather said wryly.

Ginny smiled weakly, "I guess. It's not so much that they can't join, it's why they can't join that bothers me. We're just as bad as the Death Eaters, except we discriminate against Slytherins. If I wasn't already pretty much grandfathered in, had I had to be voted in, there probably would have been some objections to _me _joining!"

Heather looked at her in mock thought, "I don't know, I always did you think you were kind of a dark one."

Ginny swatted at her but she expertly ducked. "The violence! It's showing, I told Dumbledore not to let you in!" Heather shouted while making a show of running into the kitchen.

"You think she'll ever really grow up?" Harry asked.

"I kind of hope she doesn't," Ginny replied.

They were the only ones left in the room, except for a few stragglers—Mad-eye was speaking to Sirius at the other end and Tonks was playing with little Arthur and Teddy who had just run into the room.

Dumbledore also was still sitting at the head of the table, unmoved.

Molly was just coming in to recruit Ginny to help cook when Albus stopped her, "If you'll please excuse me Molly, I'm afraid I actually need to speak with them for just a moment before dinner."

Looking somewhat surprised Molly nodded, receiving a genial smile from Dumbledore.

He turned to them again, Harry judging him warily as Albus's expression grew somewhat more somber.

He tried to cover it with a light smile though almost instantly, the small drop in his expression had been barely noticeable, only lingering for an instant.

"Why don't we go upstairs?" Dumbledore said, while rising onto his feet as he led the way into the hall.

Ginny gave Harry a slightly questioning look but he seemed to have no better idea than she did.

They walked up the stairs and into a hardly ever used room that had been intended to be Sirius's office, the whole room was very tidy, but the thin layer of dust covering the desk gave proof to it's little use.

Dumbledore, with a few elegant simple charms with his wand, sealed the room from any intruders or eaves droppers after they all entered.

He paced a while in front of them before he spoke, "Harry, Ginny—what I am about to tell you, you cannot tell anyone. It is a secret that is paramount to defeating Voldemort." He said, looking at them intently over his half moon spectacles.

They both nodded, somewhat wary of what exactly they were about to hear.

"I'm sure you have noticed by now my hand," he said, raising the black withered appendage which had been stirring rumors and curiosity for months.

He had never told them what happened to cause it, always saying it was such a tale he would have to wait until a later date to disclose it, when he would have time to do it justice.

"I've never exactly been forthcoming about the damage." He said, a light smile actually tracing his features.

"This is not just a common injury that will go away I'm afraid. You see, I haven't wanted to say anything, to panic the Order at this time would be terrible. But I'm afraid soon it'll be too late anyhow. This curse in my hand—it's killing me." He said softly.

Ginny gasped, Harry seemed to go rigid.

"But surely—there's got to be something you can do!" Harry shouted, looking a little crazed.

"I'm afraid not Harry. Professor Snape has managed to confine the curse most of the year, but my time is ending very soon. I will be gone one way or another into the next great adventure very soon!"

A few tears trickled down Ginny's cheeks, Harry had put his face in his hands.

"And that is why I must tell you now what I've been doing. I will not be able to finish it, and someone has too." Dumbledore continued with a sad smile.

Harry's head snapped up, looking him in the eye questioningly, Ginny still had tears flowing from her eyes.

"Don't cry for me dear, death after all is natural. And I've definitely lived far long enough." Albus said softly placing a hand on Ginny's shoulder. She nodded, wiping them away and trying to regain her composure.

"What exactly is this mission?" Harry asked, a little sharply. Ginny looked at him in reprove but he ignored her.

Dumbledore looked out of the window a moment before responding, "I'm sure you remember Tom Riddle's diary?"

They both nodded.

"Well, that wasn't a memory. No memory could drain the life out of a girl to resurrect it's person. That was horcrux." He said.

"But sir, what is a horcrux?" Ginny asked.

Dumbledore turned back to look at them directly, "The most evil magic there is. It is a safe keep against death that requires the witch or wizard to put a part of their soul in an object. That way should their body die, part of their soul remains, tethering them to earth. That is why Voldemort remained, in a form less than even the meanest ghost for twenty years following his downfall."

Dumbledore answered the question as Ginny's mouth was opening to ask it, "A soul can only be split by murder." He said gravely.

"But the diary is destroyed?" Harry asked, already knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"But I'm afraid that Voldemort, in his obsession with immortality did beyond what any other sorcerer has ever done. He split his soul not once, but seven times."

"Seven!" Harry exclaimed, looking slightly aghast.

"The most powerful magical number," Ginny muttered.

"Yes Ginny, I believe that was his logic." Dumbledore nodded.

"So how many have you found?" Harry asked.

"Two, the diary and an old family heirloom of Riddles, the one which cost me this hand to attain." Dumbledore responded.

"So that leaves five left for us. Any idea where they are?" She asked.

"I believe one is in a cave he once went to as an orphan," he pulled a map from his robes, showing them the destination.

"I would like to go soon to retrieve it. As for the others, I have my suspicions as to what, but not where." He answered.

"Well what do you think they are?" Harry asked, leaning forward interestedly.

"I believe that Helga Hufflepuff's cup is one, Nagini the snake another, Slytherin's locket, and the fourth I'm not sure, but I believe it must be an artifact of Gryffindor's or Ravenclaw's."

Harry nodded, "So you want us to go hunt down objects, which we have know idea where they are and only a vague idea of what they are, that are also severely booby trapped with dark magic? Is that all?" He asked somewhat darkly sarcastic.

Dumbledore gave him a disappointed look, "You don't have to anything Harry. You are just who I thought most capable for the job." He answered softly.

As much as Ginny could tell he wanted to hold on to it, Harry's anger seemed to deflate.

He sighed simply looked tired and burdened. "I know. I will destroy them to end this war, if that's what it will take." He said simply.

"I wish I didn't have to ask this of you," Albus said sounding every bit as weary as his one hundred and fifty years.

"Me too," Harry muttered, looking at Ginny while he said it.

She raised an eyebrow, already knowing what he was thinking.

"Well," Dumbledore said, a much more jovial tone entering his voice although it sounded somewhat forced.

"I don't want to keep Molly waiting, I'll see you downstairs." He said as he departed leaving Harry and Ginny alone in the dusty old office.

"I already know what you're going to say."

"Oh really?" Harry asked, eyebrow raised as he tried and failed to be playful but the atmosphere was anything but, the topic being too serious to lighten it at all.

Ginny studied him for a long moment. "I'm not staying behind Harry," she said softly but firmly as she looked him in the eye.

He turned, his back facing her as he stared out of the window and off to the pond that was in the distance. The moonlight was dancing across it's surface and illuminating it in the darkness.

He sighed heavily, folding his hands behind his back to rest there.

"This isn't like school Ginny," he finally replied without turning around.

She glared slightly at his back. "I never thought it was." She said sharply, crossing her arms over her chest.

He glanced over his shoulder, "Don't be like that."

"Then don't treat me like a five year old! I get enough of that at order meetings, thank you very much." She fired back, raising her voice.

He turned to face her, resting against the window sill and crossing his arms across his chest also.

"Look, this isn't something you need to be involved in. Ok? This is my job, not yours. You need to focus on staying—"

She rolled her eyes childishly at him, "Shut up Harry."

He began to glare slightly, and she just raised her chin in response, defiance clear in her posture.

And then simultaneously the real argument began, both of their tempers and stubborn sides overwhelming them.

"What were you going to say? Staying safe? News flash, none of use are safe—" Ginny stated hotly, jabbing her finger at him.

"There's a big difference between staying in the wards and going after pits of dark magic—" Harry's cheeks were flushed and he was making wide hand gestures to try to convey his point.

"Was I going after horcruxes my forth year? No! But yet I still got abducted by Voldemort! Why yes I think I did—"

"Exactly! You almost died then! And now you want to run off into his lairs—" He said, they had both walked toward each other now to shout at one another.

"I'm already in danger, I best as well do something useful—"

"Getting killed isn't useful—"

"You're such an arrogant sod! Why is it you can go off into whatever but yet I need to stay in some tower locked away. I'm not completely inept you know—"

"I never said you were! But this _isn't _like school!"

"Oh really Harry? Well then what's its like? I mean you must be the expert, how many horcrux hunts have you been on?" She asked sarcastically.

"Don't turn this into something childish!" He shouted.

"Well that's problem with me isn't it?" Ginny asked, looking a little crazy as she laughed bitterly.

"I'm _always _just too _childish _for _you_!" She spat before turning on her heel and leaving the room.

Harry sighed, turning back to stand at the window while he ran a hand through his hair.

"Well that was quite a departure."

He nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned to find the source of the voice that had startled him. He was already drawing his wand when he realized it was just Heather.

"Don't do that!" He said, scowling.

"Calm down," Heather said lightly, a small smile on her lips.

He sighed, looking back out at the pond.

"Remember when Sirius used to swim around the pond with us when we were kids and he would turn into padfoot and we would grab his fur while he paddled us around?" Heather asked.

Harry smiled slightly at the memories, "Yeah. We would always smell like wet dogs during the summers."

"Speak for yourself," Heather said with a mocking grin.

He didn't respond with another jab like their usual conversational flow so she let them sit in silence for a moment.

"So what happened with Ginny?" She finally asked.

"Always direct aren't you sis?" Harry said wryly.

She shot him a look that told him he wasn't getting out of an explanation.

"Albus gave us—me a mission." He said simply.

"A mission—?" Heather asked.

"I'm not sure if I can tell you. Well yes I can, you're family. But I really don't feel like getting into it right now. Just know that it's key to winning the war but it's really dangerous."

"So like what kind of danger? Like eating contest with Sirius dangerous or like challenging Grawp to an arm wrestle dangerous?" Heather asked.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Well Merlin, when you put it into terms like that it really downplays the danger of the whole 'mission to save or loose the world.'" He said sarcastically.

"Well you know me, always here to put things in perspective." She responded with a grin.

"Yes, of course." Harry muttered, shaking his head.

They sat there another moment, both looking at the pond.

"So I'm guessing you told Ginny she couldn't go with you?" Heather asked.

"Of course! She just graduated and she's only seventeen and—"

"And she's one hell of witch, and there's no one I'd rather have, save maybe you and Sirius fighting on my side." Heather interrupted.

He sighed angrily, "You don't get it!"

"Then _please, _do enlighten me." She said dramatically, rolling her eyes at the same time.

"She could die on this mission!" He yelled.

"It's a war Harry—we could all die tomorrow." Heather pointed out bluntly.

He didn't say anything but just looked at her with deep glare.

She shrugged and continued, "The thing is, you didn't exactly think this through. For one, you can't physically leave her behind. It's actually not possible. I mean really genius, does the term soul bond ring a bell?"

"I was going to return nights." He said defensively.

"I may not know what the mission is that is either going to save or end the world, but if it's really that important I'm guessing it won't be a day job."

Harry mouth went into a harder line but he didn't respond.

"Secondly, aside from that—what's the point? If you die she dies. You're not making her safer by going off in danger and leaving her at home. You two both have a better chance at survival sticking together."

"I'll be better knowing she's out of harms way and then I can focus—" He started but Heather held up a hand silencing him.

"And it's just really arrogant and stupid of you to act like you have a better chance alone, she might not have you experience and skills yet but Ginny's no slouch and you're no Merlin.

Just because they throw terms out there like chosen one doesn't mean you need to try to save the world by yourself Harry." Heather said pointedly.

Harry didn't say anything for a long while before finally muttering quietly, "I still don't like it."

"Didn't say you had to." Heather shrugged.

"I really don't want her there." He said, running a hand through his already very disheveled hair.

Heather sighed exasperatedly, "If I know her she's going to come whether you like it or not so you best as well get over it."

He looked back out of the window.

"And Harry?" Heather said breaking the silence.

"Hmm?" He asked, glancing up.

"Don't be an idiot and try to play big brother. I'm your one and only sister, so don't treat Ginny like she's another one. She certainly isn't a sister to you." Heather said wryly.

Despite himself a faint blush rose up in his cheeks, "I wasn't planning on it."

"Good." She replied simply waiting a moment before she continued. "Sometimes I just think you're so used to forcing yourself not to think of her that way that now that it's alright, that she's of age, you're still in this kind of auto-pilot of trying to put her in sisterly terms."

Harry shrugged, knowing there was a little truth to what she was saying. "We did just pick her up at the train station yesterday Heather. What did you want me to do, jump her?"

She rolled her eyes, "No. I'm just saying—with the war going on who knows what tomorrow's going to bring. I don't want to see you two loose time together because you're an idiot."

"Why do you always blame me?" He asked with an incredulous look.

"Really? Do you even have to ask that? Between you and Ginny do you really think it would be her that would screw up your relationship?"

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence _dear sister," _He muttered sarcastically.

"Honestly if you're ego is that hurt by that than you were just delusional before."

He turned to retort but she had gotten up and was already passing through the door.

"And by the way, I think she's in your old room. You might want to go get her before dinner, it should be ready in another twenty minutes." She called out over her shoulder as she left.

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story, although I don't have the time to respond right now, I still do read every single one and take into consideration what they say. **

**Please Review.**

**Sorry for the delay in updating, I can't say anything other than I have been extremely busy and just have had to far too hectic a life lately to write. It will probably be at least a week and half at the earliest before the next update, but i will do my best to get it out much sooner than this one. Even if it does take me a while to write a chapter, I do promise that I am extremely committed to finishing this story and there will always be another update until it is completed. **


	28. Chapter 28

Harry walked into his childhood room quietly, peeking through the door way slightly as he did so to see what exactly it was he was about to face.

Ginny was there, in the far corner looking over the pictures that hung on the wall. Her back was towards him but he could tell her arms were crossed—never a good sign.

He came in, shutting the door softly behind him. The last thing they needed were for her yells, which he was sure were soon to come, to echo down the hall.

She turned around when she heard the click of the door closing.

She had a blank expression on her face and that scared him more than a glare would have.

He walked over beside her and looked at the pictures she had turned away from.

"I remember that summer." He said pointing to a picture that showed Sirius, Heather and himself when he was only four years old.

"We went swimming everyday," He said, smiling slightly at the memories.

Ginny didn't say anything.

He turned away from the picture, she had moved and was sitting in an old desk chair at the little table he had been forced to do his homework at when he was a teenager.

Her arms were still crossed.

He went over and sat at the edge of his bed a few feet away from her.

"You know Ginny, I'm not trying to...keep you away or treat you like a child. You just don't—" He began.

"Don't what Harry?" She interrupted, the glare finally forming on her face as she looked over at him.

"What is it? Am I not of age—no that's not it. In fact I'll be eighteen soon. Have I not finished school—no can't be that. Graduated with honors. Am I too innocent, haven't been exposed to dark magic—no I wrote in the fucking diary of Voldemort himself and was possessed by it! So what exactly is it that sets me apart from the other members of the order, that they can go—can go and be useful. But I need to sit around at home—twiddling my thumbs and being _safe_!"

She had stood up and walked over towards him in her rant and now stood above him, arms still crossed, glaring down at him.

He sighed, getting up and striding past her to be by the pictures in the corner again.

"You _don't _understand." He said harshly.

"Then please enlighten me," She said rolling her eyes dramatically.

He turned then, his arms now crossed. "You think this is going to be like school!" He laughed, it sounded unnatural and hysterical.

"You really think that!"

"I have no delusions—" She began heatedly but was interrupted.

"This is nothing like that. People are going to die in this war, so many already are gone! And it's only going to get worse!" He shouted standing close to her.

"Oh—and I'll be so safe sitting on the sidelines," She snorted derisively.

"Get a grip. I'm in danger no matter what I do. People aren't stupid Harry, I'm certain they know at least some of the truth behind us. And what they don't they've guessed. You think it's a big secret that if one of us dies then the other does too...it's not even close. I'm a target no matter what, and it'll be easier to keep both of us safe if we're together. I don't know that your problem is anyway, anytime you're in danger—I'm in danger. So leaving me at home doesn't exactly do anything now does it?" She asked with a sneer.

"You—you just—I..." He spluttered, trying to find a response.

Ginny was looking at him triumphantly, in a somewhat smug way that made him either want to yell at her or snog her. A mixed impulse that shocked him somewhat.

"No." He said simply when he regained his wits.

"No?" She asked, her voice taking a dangerous edge, her eyes flashing like they did when she really became furious.

"No. It's not the same. if you come with me you'll be in more danger. By myself I don't have to worry about you and I can take care of myself. No."

"No?" A very frightening look was coming over her features by then. "No uh?" She started laughing, rather like he had been earlier.

"Harry, I'm an adult. You can't tell me, 'No,' like a child. And I damn sure can take care of myself you arrogant—"

She was jabbing her finger at him with each word.

Harry ran both of his hands through his hair frustratedly. "Why can't you just understand!" He shouted, interrupting her.

"Understand what? Why you're fine with less capable people being in the fight, but for some reason I need to be kept like a little glass doll, out of the way?" She shouted back.

Harry turned away from her not responding, so she walked closer still just as infuriated.

"What is so different between me and them! Why can't you ever give me any credit, ever treat me like I'm not the same scared eleven year old! That was almost seven years ago! Why can't you see that I'm not a child anymore!" She said frustratedly.

He turned towards her, "You don't think I don't realize you're not a child anymore! Trust me, it's on my mind everyday. But this is a war—"

"I fucking know it's a war you idiot!" She shouted. "What I don't understand is what is the damn difference between me and—"

She was interrupted again but this time not by words. He had taken the half a step needed to be close enough to her to simply lower his head and touch his lips to hers.

She stood there, shocked, her hands still raised by her sides from the gestures she had been making during her argument. They slowly, almost timidly fell to rest lightly on his shoulders.

His hands had risen to twist inside her hair, he stepped even closer brining their bodies flush against each other.

Ginny wasn't sure what to think, she was certainly surprised, but all other thought was too hard to focus on in her current predicament.

She traced her nails lightly down his back, feeling insecure in her inexperience. He sighed, releasing a stream of air into her own mouth. One of his hands went lower, wrapping around her back and pulling her closer while the other rested on her cheek.

He had backed her into the wall and as her back rested against it the kisses began to grow more fervent, some of the softness turning more passionate.

She felt strangely almost disconnected to her body, but at the same time more aware of every feeling than ever before. His tongue had reached out to nip at her bottom lip and she gasped at the sensation—

"Dinner is served Master Harry!" A voice wheezed out from the door way.

They sprung apart, both flushed and breathing heavily. Ginny could feel the blush pooling in her cheeks, she was certain they were as red as her hair.

Kreacher stood in the doorway, seemingly completely unfazed by what he had interrupted.

"Master Sirius sent me here to retrieve you and Ms. Ginevra," He finished, he had never listened to Ginny's requests to simply called her Ginny.

"Oh—we'll...just a minute Kreacher." Harry said, a strange mixture of embarrassment, disconcertment, annoyance and excitement on his features.

Ginny ran her fingers through her hair, trying to straighten out the tangles that had been created in it. Before Harry turned away from Kreacher she stepped into the bathroom connected to his room, closing the door behind her.

Her cheeks were just as red as she suspected when she looked in the mirror, her eyes were bright and she thought to herself that she had never seen her reflection look so..._wild._

A knock startled her from the door. "Gin?" He sounded unsure.

She took a deep breath, now was no time for her to be a coward. She had been waiting for this after all.

Harry continued worriedly on the other side, "Are you alright? I mean—is everything...can you..._fuck! _I really screwed this up haven't I? I'm sorry—"

But he was interrupted by her walking through the door. She had a sly smile on her face although she was certainly a little nervous, which she knew was ridiculous but nevertheless she was.

"No Harry, you didn't...that wasn't it. I just wanted to clean up a bit before we went down stairs." She told him reaching over with a surge of bravery to slowly take his hand in her hers.

Relief seemed to wash through him and he gave her a brilliant smile, his thumb caressing her hand that she held his with.

"Dinner." They turned startled back towards the door where Kreacher was still standing, but neither let go of each other's hand as they went down stairs.

When they reached the bottom of the stair case she leaned over to whisper to him, "Don't think this changes anything. I'm still coming."

He looked at her, a resigned expression seeming to settle on his face. "We'll talk about this later." He responded gruffly.

She rolled her eyes juvenilely and he glared slightly but didn't respond.

Two days later Harry was sitting in the kitchen of the Burrow, Heather beside him and Hermione sitting across from the two of him.

"So let me get this straight...you are expected to go find seven horcruxes, that are going to be immensely protected by the magic of the most evil, powerful, mastermind of a dark lord that ever was—that could be anything and anywhere?" Heather asked with an eye brow raised.

"That sums it up." Harry told her bleakly.

"Well Merlin, if I had known it'd be that easy we could have just ended the war after a couple days." She fired back sarcastically.

Hermione of course was sitting there, coffee mug in hand with her eyebrows furrowed and a deeply pensive expression written across her face.

"The ministry doesn't have much longer Harry," She said grimly after a moment, looking up to stare him directly in the eyes.

"I've been hearing rumors but I didn't want—is it really that bad?" He asked.

"I'm afraid so. Ron doesn't even like to talk to anyone at work anymore, you never know who's who." She sat back further in her chair.

"I hate to say it but she's right. Our last mission, me and Sirius saw Pius Thicknesse meeting up at Malfoy manor. He's next in line if Scrimgeour bites it, and let's face it, even the order's best efforts can't hold that over for long. There's just too many of 'em and they're all embedded in that damn ministry." Heather said bitterly.

Hermione nodded, "And Harry, when that happens, the first people they'll come for will be you and Ginny. You two need to have a plan in place. It could happen tomorrow, it could be sixth months from now, but I really don't see the ministry holding up another year. We need to know what we're all going to do when that happens."

"Mad-eye thinks it's going to fall in the next few weeks, there's been strange activity stirred up lately amongst the death eaters, and more and more meeting frequently." Heather added worriedly.

"Well, Mad-eye is a bit paranoid but...you need to have a plan. We need to put together a supply kit of some kind that you can carry with you at all times. All the things you'd really need, I bet an undetectable extension charm would dot the trick..." Hermione began to mumble to herself, clearly deep in planning now.

"What about you and Sirius? You two won't exactly be safe when it falls with your ties to me?" Harry asked.

Heather waved him off, "We'll be fine. I suspect hiding out with the rest of the known order and sneaking out to kick death eaters arse. Besides even without our ties to you we would still be targets anyway. We are in the Order after all," She said with a shrug.

"Still, you two should also be planning. Everyone should be..." He added darkly.

Hermione however just laughed, "Everyone else has been Harry. You're the only one with you head in the clouds, or should I say on a certain Weasley?"

Heather looked at him with a grin, noticing the slight blush in his cheeks. "He just can't keep his mind off Ron," She added teasingly.

"Oh yeah...it's _Ron_ that's on my mind," He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"I would certainly understand why." Hermione said with a dreamy smile.

"Ew! _Hermione!_" Heather spluttered on some of her tea.

And just like that everyone was laughing and for a moment all their worries about the ministry were forgotten.

Harry hadn't spoken to Ginny about the kiss. He had certainly been thinking about it, but they hadn't had the right moment yet of privacy to discuss it. Somehow bringing it up while they were both lying awake at night pretending to be asleep just seemed too awkward. It was something he anxiously wanted to talk about though.

And that was why a week and a half later at dinner he found himself signaling her with a jerk of his head, outside while Molly was cleaning up.

Ginny seemed to simply stare at him for a moment before she gave a barely perceptible nod of her head. Heather was sitting with the twins and Sirius at one end of the table, while Ron, Hermione, little Arthur, he and Ginny comprised the middle, with Arthur and Molly at the other end.

No one brought up the three missing brothers, two out on Order business and one having forsaken the family for the ministry. But their unspoken presence was still heavy.

Harry listened to what was being said around him without talking much, he spent most of the dinner staring at Ginny. Something that went unnoticed by no one. She also was sneaking him more covert glances than usual.

When the dinner finally ended and people began to find their way to the sitting room, or lingered around the table, or in Molly's case went about charming the dishes clean, Ginny and Harry made their way out of the back door.

Hand in hand they raced out, going off into the orchard feeling very much like small children escaping from chores.

The moon was full and the air was warm. It was a perfect summer's night.

They slowed down but kept walking through the orchard until they were near the edge of the wards.

He turned to face her then, some of the giddiness gone and replaced by a little nervous anticipation.

"Hi," he started off lamely.

She didn't seem to mind though, smiling back she said softly, "Hi."

They were silent another moment.

"Wow, just brilliant conversationalists aren't we?" Harry asked sarcastically, running a hand through his hair.

Ginny laughed, tossing her long red hair back over her shoulder. Harry's eyes followed the way it glinted in the moonlight, rippling down her back.

"We can still talk Harry," she reminded him ruefully.

"Yes but somehow trying to approach the topic of snogging just seems awkward no matter how you go about it," he blurted out unthinkingly.

She blushed but had a sly grin on her face.

He covered his face with his hands. "I just said that out loud didn't I?" He mumbled.

She walked closer, bring her hands up to trap his wrists and pull his own hands away from his face. Falling by his sides she kept his wrists enclosed with her small hands.

"You do have a way with words don't you?" She asked wryly, blushing deeply but deciding for once to be brave in regard to Harry. She didn't back down from the proximity she had created.

"Well you know me...regular debonair," he said sarcastically, although the tone was lacking as his voice had dropped to barely above a whisper. He was staring at her lips as if in a trance, his eyes slowly closing as he leaned forward.

Blinking once, Ginny closed her eyes too, angling her head up towards his.

The kiss quickly became much more heated and rushed than their other one had been. He escaped the hold of her hands to circle his arms around her, drawing her closer while one of her hands rose to clutch his shoulder, the other on his neck pulling it downward.

She sucked at his bottom lip, and with a groan he opened his mouth. He began at first gently, and timidly with his tongue, but then when his hands strayed lower to pick her up and she wrapped her legs around him things quickly descended into a frenzy.

It was as if the rest of the world ceased existing, and the real reason they had come out there Harry was unable to remember for a few moments.

He drew back abruptly, resting his head in the crook of her shoulder and neck. They were both breathing hard, and he was was still holding her, her legs still wrapped around him.

"Gi—" He began but was interrupted as the moment he lifted his head she tried to re-capture his lips.

But he turned his face away to the side. Not to be easily deterred she tried reach his lips then too, and would have succeeded had he not leaned back against the base of a tree, plopping down on the ground still holding her so that she landed in his lap.

"We should talk, it's what we came out here to do." Harry said, looking happily at her.

She however rolled her eyes and leaned in to kiss him again, but he moved his head quickly evading her.

She sat back slightly with a glare on her face, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"What do we need to talk about?" She asked annoyed. "I mean really, you're the bloke, aren't you supposed to be the one who just wants to snog while I want to have a chat about feelings or whatever?" She asked impatiently.

Harry was laughing still, and she playfully slapped him on the shoulder, a giddy smile however breaking out on her own face.

"Well our relationship has never exactly been normal," he pointed out after his laughter had subsided.

"Well want to you want to talk about?" Ginny asked, finally coming down from the high of the kiss to process everything that had happened. Sitting in his lap she was very aware of just how hard it must have been for him to stop.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"The burrow," she replied, an eyebrow raised.

"No...I mean where are we—you and I." He clarified.

"Married, have been for oh—eight years now! Really where have you been?" she asked.

"Ginny you know that this marriage...it hasn't been...it's not quite being really married, at least not yet. It was more of a betrothal. I love you, I think you already knew that though. And I want to be with you now...this is harder than when I practiced in the mirror...I want to be with you now like a real couple," he finally answered.

Ginny rolled her eyes again before a sweet, if almost pitying expression came on her face, she reached up placing her hand on his cheek and he put his own hand over it.

"Harry, this is not exactly a world shattering revelation here is it? I mean really—haven't you been thinking about this for a couple years now? Or at least since last week? Why are we even having this conversation? Of course we are going to be together like a real couple. What did you think was going to happen, we were going to live a life of celibacy forever?" Ginny asked, a highly amused expression on her face.

Harry looked at her a little bewildered, "Well of course, but how can you be so...matter of fact about this?" He asked, turning his head to kiss the palm that was resting on his cheek.

Distracted by what he had just done Ginny took a moment to respond, "I'm not really...but I just don't see any point in being any other wise. Yeah, I'll admit, it is a bit...er—new and sometimes confusing?" She asked looking into his eyes, at his nod she went on. "But we are in war and I don't want to waste time. I feel like yeah, maybe it would be nicer to reflect on this or whatever...if we lived in a different world with no Voldemort. But for the one we're in now, I think it's best for us just to take it as comes and do what we want. Besides, I think we've waited long enough." She finished looking at him searchingly for agreement.

She leaned in then and this time he didn't fight her.

Later they sat, Ginny tucked under his arm with her head resting on his chest.

"...and then she ate all the cake. I had forgotten about that!" Ginny told him.

"I don't think Ron ever forgave her," Harry added, also laughing.

They both had dopey smiles on their face, separate from the amusement from their memories.

There was a long silence where they just sat, enjoying each other's physical comfort before Ginny spoke again. "I am coming you know." She told him bluntly.

"I've realized deterring you would be impossible. I still wish you—" He began but she interrupted him.

"Don't even start Harry. I'm perfectly capable, and I am not going to sit on the sidelines of this war. Besides, the best place I can be is with you."

He sighed, kissing her temple. "I know. I just...I hate the thought of you in any kind of danger. But I know it was stupid of me to ever think I could stop you. All the fight you have, it's part of the reason I love you." He said softly.

Ginny looked up at him a long time, taking in every feature. She absolutely adored him, and in that moment she was certain she would have even if the bond had never existed.

"Harry," she began softly, almost timidly although she knew it was stupid to be. He looked down, the tenderness in his expression almost tangible. She was going to tell him, it would be different now from the other times she had said it when she had meant it in such a familial way, this was meant in exactly no sisterly way. She took a deep breath looking into his eyes.

"Harry I—" she began bravely but was interrupted by an earth shattering boom that shook the very ground they were sitting on.

Both of them sprung to their feet.

Over the tree tops, they could see lights flashing in the sky over the burrow.

**Please Review. **

**Thank you to everyone who has. **


	29. Chapter 29

They were sprinting as hard as they could towards the burrow. The lights in the sky over it were bright enough that they were casting their colors out, lighting up Harry's and Ginny's faces as they ran. Although his legs were much longer, she was only a half a step behind. Their muscles were burning but with the adrenaline they hardly noticed.

When the house came into view, they had expected to see death eaters surrounding it. But from the back, nothing seemed to be amiss. It was from the front however that they could hear the shouts and see the spells being cast.

"Gin—" Harry turned to say, but she had already rushed ahead of him and was through the back door.

He muttered some curse words as he ran to catch up to her. Inside the house the noise was deafening, a mixture of shouting and explosions.

Little Arthur was huddled behind the countertop, Hermione kneeling over him in the kitchen.

"Ginny, Harry," she acknowledged breathlessly, turning to see them. She gestured them over until they were crouching beside her.

"It's happened. The ministry—they've got it," she said, her voice slightly hysterical. She turned to look them in the eye, "And…" she took a deep breath as if steeling herself for what she was about to say. "Dumbledore's dead." She whispered, some tears escaping her eyes.

"What? I thought…he said he had a while left—the hand…it wasn't…" Ginny trailed off horrified.

Harry looked piercingly at Hermione, a cold expression on his face. "It wasn't the hand was it?" He asked in a bitter tone.

Hermione shook her head, some more tears streaming down her face. "No, that wasn't it. Snape—he killed him."

"But Snape—he…No that can't be it-he wouldn't betray Dumbledore…there has to be a mistake!" Ginny shouted, grabbing Hermione's shoulders and shaking her.

"I'm so sorry Ginny. We got a patronus from Remus, it's all true." Hermione said, wrapping an arm around the younger witches shoulder.

Harry grabbed a plate off the countertop and threw it against the wall. Watching it shatter before he turned back towards them.

"They came right after that, right after we got the patronus." Hermione continued.

Arthur was huddled in the corner, "Mum where's Dad? Where's Dad? Is he coming? Where's Dad?" He kept asking in a mantra to himself as he rocked back and forth, holding his knees to his chest.

"Shh, it's alright Arthur. He'll be here," she said rubbing some soothing circles on his back even though she looked fearfully doubtful of her own words.

"How many of them are out there?" Harry asked. He and Ginny both had their wands in hand.

"I don't know." Hermione said, staring past them.

"I just—I don't know," she cried, throwing her hands in the air hopelessly, her shoulders hunching in defeat.

"That's alright Hermione. I'm sure Ron's fine, he's strong, he'll be fine," Ginny said to her. "He'll be fine," she seemed to almost repeat it for her own reassurance.

Hermione looked up at both of them seeming to regain some composure, "Oh—I have something. You need to take it." She reached around and pulled out a small, over the shoulder bag.

Ginny took it with a questioning look.

"It has everything you might need. A tent, some stored food…for a little while at least. And the journal Dumbledore gave you, some potions you might need…everything." Hermione said, handing it to Ginny who put it on across her shoulder.

"But how—in this little bag…undetectable extension charm?" She asked, a sly grin on her face.

"Of course," Hermione gave her a weak smile.

Another explosion, this one rocking the entire house, interrupted their reunion.

"We need to get out there," Ginny said. "Keep Arthur safe," she added, looking at Hermione.

"What do you think I'm doing in here?" Hermione asked, trying weakly to make a joke.

With a final glance backwards Harry and Ginny made their way to the front. In the dining room, the table was turned upside down. Heather, Sirius and Ron were huddled behind it, rising over it to shoot hexes through the shattered window every few moments.

"Nice of you to join," Sirius shouted over the noise, giving them a grin that completely did not fit the situation.

"How many of them are out there?" Harry shouted as he and Ginny both took a position behind the table with the others.

"About fifty," Heather answered in-between sending a killing curse out of the gaping hole that stood where a wall once was.

"Where is everyone?" Ginny asked.

"The twins are in their old room, shooting some hexes down from there." Ron started to answer, pausing to send a bludgeoning hex through the window which found its mark in one of the black robed fiends outside.

Ginny frowned slightly at the blood which had gushed from Ron's victim. Ron un-fazed continued, "And Mum and Dad are trying to bring down the anti-apparation and portkey wards those bastards set up."

Harry nodded, "How far along are they?" He asked.

"Probably a ways, we need to give them as much time as we can." Ron answered back.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw through the gaping hole a deatheater about to send a blasting hex right at Harry's head which was poking over the table as he aimed his curses.

She whipped around and before she could pay it much thought sent a severing hex towards the man. It stabbed him completely through, and she flinched slightly. Aware she had probably just made her first kill, but before she could dwell on it she was having to duck further under the table to avoid a dark spell sent right at her head.

"Good one Gin," Sirius said quietly nodding towards the fallen man outside she had just killed. She looked up at him and he clapped her on the back before turning his attention back towards the mob outside. Drawing a deep breath she peeked over the table again, aware of Harry's hand on her shoulder giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"I don't think we can hold this too much longer," Ron shouted over the noise.

"We don't have a choice," Heather shouted back, sending a killing curse over her table at the same time her brother did. She and Harry's curse both hit the same man.

"Well he's dead," Heather muttered, watching the twin green lights both strike the black robed chest. Harry rolled his eyes at her, "Next time let's aim for some different ones!"

"Hey you're the one that aimed at my target!" She protested.

Harry laughed, "We'll settle it later!"

Ginny shaking herself out of stupor and reminding herself it was a war. She could dwell on her moral problems with killing later when their lives weren't in danger she told herself before she began to fire hexes again.

She had never learned the killing curse, and as such sent instead varying but generally almost as harmful curses.

They continued this way, ducking and dodging and using the table, which Sirius had magically reinforced, as a shield for some time.

"What—What are they doing?" Heather asked, bewilderedly watching as the deatheaters began to spread. They seemed to be parting as if making way for something. They had stopped sending hexes at them and were all turned away from them, scattering quickly.

Then they saw it.

The fire, unnaturally bright and roaring in shapes of serpents and other creatures rushing towards the burrow, blazing through the path the deatheaters had created.

"No, surely not. They can't be that stupid," Ginny muttered, somewhat transfixed as she watched the flame burn steadily towards them.

"Those morons! They conjured Fiendfire!" Harry shouted.

"Fuck," Heather summed up everyone's thoughts.

The twins came rushing down the stairs, "Why are you all just sitting there. Do you see the bright, big balls of magically cursed flame coming towards you!" Fred shouted.

"Move!" George shouted, grabbing Heather, who was picking off the distracted deatheaters running from their own flame, by the arm and pulling her out of the room as everyone else followed.

Listening to George they all scrambled to their feet and ran to the kitchen. Harry latched on to Ginny's hand, dragging her with enough force that she felt like he was pulling her arm out of it's socket.

Molly and Arthur were in the kitchen with Hermione and her son. They looked at them questioningly when they rushed in.

"We almost have the wards down," Molly muttered, looking up at them. Arthur and Hermione seemed to be in deep concentration, making slow motions with their wands while little Arthur huddled against Molly.

"Doesn't matter now! There's fiendfire coming this way!" Ron shouted, grabbing Hermione by the elbow and picking up his son.

"We need to get the bloody hell out of here," Heather added as they could hear the roar of the fire now having reached the front sitting room and they felt the heat coming off in waves from feeling like it was almost burning them from where they were.

Scrambling through the house, they all ran out of the back door and straight into the hands of waiting death eaters now all gathered in the back of the yard. Knowing that was where their targets would flee.

"Shit," Heather cursed.

Ron set down his son and pushed him behind him to where Hermione was waiting. She took the child in her arms despite his protests and reaches for Ron.

Ron, Heather, Sirius, Harry, Ginny, Molly, Fred, George and Arthur stood in a line, wands in hand facing the deatheaters.

One stepped forward from the group the hood falling back to reveal Bellatrix Lestrange. The light from the fire devouring the house casting a glow over her face that made her look even more deranged.

"Give us those two," she gestured towards Harry and Ginny. Harry took a step in front of Ginny to put her behind himself, to Ginny's great annoyance.

Bella laughed slightly at the display, looking searchingly at the rest of the group she finished,"And the rest of you can go free."

Heather rolled her eyes at her, "Bitch you really are crazy if you think we're going to do that."

Bella's eyes seemed to bulge out of her head. "Fool, the dark lord will not—"

"We don't serve your dark lord," Heather interrupted.

Bella glared back, withdrawing her wand. "Have it your way then." She said coldly.

And then she fired the first hex, a killing curse straight at Ginny who dodged it with a dive and quickly rolled to her feet. Then all hell broke loose, they split off each beginning their own battles.

Lucius Malfoy and Sirius were in a violent duel while Heather and Bella circled each other like cats before a fight. Ginny found herself back to back with Harry as they were surrounded by deatheaters.

No killing curses were sent at them, it seemed only Bella had the insanity to go against her master's orders to bring them in alive.

Conjuring gold, advanced shields they were able to block most of what was sent their way.

They worked well as a team, the two of them, and it was almost as if they had been fighting together their entire life.

Ginny sent another basting hex at death eater, crushing his skull as the fight beside her caught some of her attention.

"You really do look extraordinarily like your mother, don't you?" Bella asked a sick glee shining in her eye. Heather glared at her, sending another hex her way that the older witch was able to brush aside.

"I had her under the cruciatus curse one time…She didn't scream though. I wonder if you will?"

"Crucio," She sent the jet of light towards Heather who just side stepped it with a practiced ease.

"Is that really all you got?" Heather asked laughing. "The years with the dementors make you loose your touch a bit there Bella? No wonder you're not your little half blood master's favorite anymore," She taunted, laughing.

A dark rage over came Bella's features, twisting them until they looked demonic. With a inhuman growl she sent a killing curse at Heather who dodged it, before paying her back in kind. After that they began to send hexes at each other so quickly and violently there was only time for dodging and casting.

Ginny turned and killed another deather eater, using his body to send it flying in to his comrades and knock them off their feet.

She had just blocked off another bludgering hex when she head a sharp gasp from right behind her. She felt a shudder from the body that was backed against hers and she turned to see Harry paled tremendously.

He was holding his hand to his side, and she turned to see the blood rushing out of it in gushes. When he looked up at her it was with an almost shocked expression, as if he couldn't believe he had been hit.

He collapsed slightly, but she caught him, bringing his arm up around her shoulders as she supported him. She fired hexes behind her as she drug him to Hermione who was working behind a shield.

The fire was done with the burrow, nothing where it once remained, and was now creeping into the yard, approaching them at an alarmingly fast pace.

Hermione was there, crouched behind a shield, feeling the heat of the fire on her back as it grew closer. "I'm almost done, the wards, they're almost down," Hermione said, sweat lining her furrowed brow as she worked.

"Hermione! Is there some dittany or…I need something! He was hit…"Ginny trailed off pulling the bag off her shoulders.

Hermione gasped, looking down at the wound where the blood was pouring out, creating a puddle where she had laid him.

"HERMIONE!" Ginny shouted, bringing her out of her trance.

"In the bag Ginny. In the bag—summon it!" She said panicked.

"Accio dittany," Ginny yelled, and the bottle to her relief flew into her hand. She opened it, pouring more than was needed into Harry's wound. It began to close up slightly but it was still botchily healed, but at least the blood had stopped. She let out a few gasps of breath, placing her hand over the swollen wound, but at least relieved it was no longer bleeding.

Hermione looked over him, her wand movement stilling for a second. "Ginny, did they cut inside of him? Did the curse cut further then the skin?" She asked urgently.

Ginny nodded, it had cut completely through him, through the organs, through everything.

"He'll need more then dittany then. Look, the dittany will hold him over, but there's a book in the bag. It's called Advanced Healing to Counter Dark Arts, you'll need to read it. You have to read the section about internal bleeding and fixing and…" Hermione looked hysteric, his blood was on both their hands from the puddle it had created in the yard.

"It has the spells you'll need to fix him inside," Hermione said tearfully.

"But won't you be with us?" Ginny asked panicked.

"No, they can track apparition. We'll need to all apparate different places from here to confuse them. They can't track but one and if we leave in groups it'll mix the traces and they won't be able to track it." Hermione tried to explain.

"But you can do it Ginny. You're smart, I know you can do it. Just read it, and look for some more potions in the bag, there's some that might help." Hermione went on.

Ginny nodded, taking Harry's hand and winging the pack around her shoulders. Harry looked terrible, his face was white, and he was shaking. His eyes though open, were barely so and they seemed so unfocused.

"Hermione the wards—" she began to snap.

"I know." Hermione shouted back. "I'm doing the best I can." Ginny nodded, biting her tongue and clenching Harry's hand tighter.

A flicker of movement turned Ginny's head as she saw it out of the corner of her eye.

"Sectumsempra," Ginny cursed, jumping up from her crouch to kill a man who had been about to fire at Hermione from behind the shield.

"How did he get back here?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, just finished the wards!" Ginny shouted, firing some more curses at the deatheaters.

The fire was almost on them, even though they had retreated even further from the house.

She pulled Harry up again, supporting his weight as she dragged him further away from the fire. Hermione behind her carrying Arthur, still making sweeping motions with her wand and muttering in latin.

She stopped then, tugging on Ginny's sleeve, her eyes wide. "That's it. They're down!" She shouted.

Ginny spun, "THEY'RE DOWN!" She yelled out to her family.

Ron sent a killing curse, hitting one more death eater before he ran to Hermione and Arthur, dissaparating on the spot.

"Ginny, Ginny come with us!" Molly yelled, reaching out to her as she and Arthur Sr. prepared to dissaparate. Their arms were linked but they both reached out hands to their only daughter.

Ginny shook her head, shooting another hex over the shield. "I can't Mum. I have to stay with Harry now." Molly looked devastated but before she could protest Arthur gave Ginny a short nod with a look full of understanding and they too dissaparated.

Sirius ran behind the shield, "HEATHER GET YOUR ARSE OVER HERE, WE'RE LEAVING!" He yelled.

But as Ginny began to dissaparate, she saw Heather glance over at Sirius, distracted for a moment. And she and Harry both watched before they were sucked into the black tunnel, a jet of green light from Bella's wand strike Heather directly in the chest before she fell to the ground, her wand rolling out of her hand as her head turned toward them, blank green eyes staring at them.

They re-appeared in a sickening lurch in a forest in Scottland Ginny had once been camping in with Charlie when she was six.

Gasping for breath Ginny looked around frantically, the silent peaceful forest seeming more frightening than it had any right to be after what she had just seen. She jumped to her feet her wand held out in front of her before her mind caught up with her body and she calmed enough to crouch beside Harry again.

"Heather…" Harry mumbled, his face contorted in pain. "No...where's Heather?" He asked, his words slurring. "Shh…" Ginny said, blinking her tears away as she put her hand on his cheek.

"Just hold on, Harry," she replied. "Where's Heather?" He muttered again his eyes widening. She looked down at him knowing he knew the answer to that even in his delirious state, and she didn't answer. Hearing the words, she understood, was not what he needed then.

They locked eyes for a moment and she watched his expression twist into something so full of grief, so full of pain that it felt like an arrow to the heart. "No…where's my sister?"

She placed her wand at his temple, softly muttering a sleeping spell before he realized what she was doing. His eyes fluttered closed, and his face relaxed as he lost consciousness.

Smoothing his hair back from his forehead she gave herself one moment to bury her own face in her hand and let out a sob.

The burrow was gone, they were one their own, Harry was in severe need of medical attention that she was going to have to learn how to give, and Heather was dead.

She stood up abruptly then, shaking her sobs away and began casting protective enchantments, there was not time for tears. She had too much work to do and chosen one to protect. She gave him one last tender, sorrowful look before she stepped away and began the job she was born to do. "Salvia Hexia..."


	30. Chapter 30

"Just drink it..._please _Harry," Ginny pleaded trying to tip the vial down his throat. In his feverish state he was hardly coherent and getting him to swallow the disgusting potion was difficult.

With his head on her lap she was able to pry his jaw open and tilt it back so that he swallowed the medicine.

The tent was modest, two simple cots side by side, a small kitchen and two chairs separating the two areas.

The moonlight shining slightly through the tent, and the candles flickering beside his cot gave a soft glowing light.

Ginny grabbed her forehead, hissing in pain as she held it, her eyes squeezing shut forcefully as a few tears leaked out.

She was experiencing the same pain there through the bond. She sighed, choking slightly on a sob as she smoothed his hair back from where it had been plastered with sweat on his forehead.

Harry had started twitching again, muttering indistinguishably and punctuating it with cries to stop.

"...they...can't...it has...please...NO! STOP!..._please _stop..._NO_!" He screamed, turning in the cot and shaking, his hands gripping the side rails of the bed until his knuckles popped white from the grip.

"Shh Harry, it's not real...whatever it is...it's not real..." Ginny muttered, rocking back and forth slightly trying to soothe him as her own hands shook.

"It's okay Harry, you're alright. I'm here," She chanted, biting her lip to keep from crying more. It would only be another few moments before he need another potion, but at least most of the wand work was done and the wound while still a problem, wasn't killing him that moment.

He was shaking violently, but he would not wake not matter what she did. He was completely trapped in whatever vision of reality, or nightmare had ensnared him.

When his cries finally quieted down she buried her head in her hands—knowing that with his connection, whatever horrors he had seen were very likely absolutely real.

She slipped the last of the potions down his throat, and achingly tired she just laid down beside him. But despite her exhaustion, her sleep was not a peaceful one.

OoOoOo

"Oh, you're awake."

He looked over at her blearily, not completely comprehending yet their situation.

She hoped he stayed that way for as long as possible, she knew how desperately she herself wished to erase the last twenty four hours.

A silence stretched between them, "Do you want some water? Um—we have some muggle can food too I can heat up, Hermione she...well of course she taught me how and I could also see what else is in here and—"

He cut off her rambling attempt to ignore the truth of everything and instead brought it to light with one word.

"Heather?" He asked, voice raspy from screaming in his fits.

Ginny looked over at him, saying nothing but holding a sad resignation in her eyes. He nodded, swallowing thickly and turning away from her to lay facing the blank tent wall.

She stared at the back of his head, unsure of how to approach him.

"Maybe..." She began, tentatively but with a ray of hope that had come to her that morning, something she had been fostering and clinging to even if she knew in her heart of hearts it was a false one.

"Maybe, she didn't really die. We didn't see the body and who knows what really happened, maybe we didn't see what we thought we saw. It's possible—" She said, her voice becoming more frantic as she went on, trying to get some kind of positive recognition to the crazy fantasy she had concocted.

"No. It isn't." He interrupted brusquely, still turned away from her.

She bit her tongue, trying to control the irrational anger she felt at him for killing her fool's dream.

"How do you know? It's at least worth _considering_." She went on, all of her hurt and anger over everything channeling into defending her attempt to make some sense of the world that morning, even if it had been a delusional one.

"Because I..." He started hollowly, swallowing thickly and closing his eyes.

His shoulders shook and she shrank back, afraid of what she had done.

"I know..._alright_...I _know _she's de-dead." His hoarse voice had never sounded so pained.

She didn't want to hear anymore, but he continued anyway with no prompting.

"I saw them last night. I saw what they did...her body...I saw it all though _his_ eyes..."

His shoulder shook, but no sobs came. She however sat horrified, his cries from the night replaying in her mind and taking on a whole new meaning.

Tears swam in her eyes, blurring her vision. She rushed out of the tent and kept running.

She had only made it a small ways when her feet tripped over a large tree root, sending her sprawling into the little brook near the tent.

She didn't make a move, just laid there in the shallow water, sobs racking her whole body.

It was hours later, after going over every word he had muttered and screamed the last night, that she rose from the water. All of her tears dried out to leave a hollow, painful emptiness.

There was mud in her hair, and covering the side o her body that had been in the water. But it was a simple thing to fix with magic.

Stepping behind the divider she changed, finally taking off the sweaty, bloody clothes of last nights battle, now covered in mud.

She searched through the bag, until she pulled out an old pair of flannel pajamas. They were ugly, their style more fit for a six year old than the fourteen year old she had been when Molly had given them to her.

But she had grown to love them the past year, they were her symbol of home when she was at school.

And now, here in the forest, completely away from her parent's aid, she clutched them to herself all the more desperately. Never so happy to see the rough, ugly material.

OoOoOo

"I made some beans and...well I'm not entirely sure what this is." Ginny stirred the green mass around the pot with a skeptical eye-brow raised.

"But I suppose we can't afford to be picky now," she added, putting a little of it each on their plate.

She handed Harry one, but he just stared at it.

"The good news is that Hermione must have put enough of this stored food in there for a few months," Ginny continued, she had already grown used to mostly talking to herself. She wondered if it was a sign of insanity but decided she hated the silence enough that she didn't care.

"Oh...well, it's edible I suppose," she commented on the pale imitation of cabbage.

Harry wasn't eating, he hadn't much since they had gotten there.

"You should try it. It's really not has bad as it looks," she stirred it around her plate, not taking another bite either.

He didn't move.

She sighed, leaning back in her chair and abandoning her plate as well.

He wasn't looking at her. Instead he was still just staring at the tent wall, as if the blank white canvas was going to offer him a clean slate or a way back through time to fix it all.

She ran a hand through his hair, hating the way he cringed away from her touch the slightest.

"Alright then...I guess we should get some sleep...big day tomorrow and all," she added with a wry quirk of her lips.

Tomorrow she knew, was likely to be as morose and horrible as the days before it had become, hardly big at all.

She walked behind the divider to change into her old pajamas. Lovingly patting the flannel she closed her eyes and pictured Molly's face, trying to imagine what she would do in the same situation.

Probably insist everyone eat their entire dinner, but of course Molly would have found some way to make the preserved muggle food delicious in a style Ginny knew she couldn't. But she was sure Molly would have a found a way.

Hermione, with her curly brown hair in her face would be researching. Looking through all the books she had brought and of course finding the brilliant, perfectly logical yet completely hidden, life changing bit of magic in the text that would fix everything.

Ginny had tried her hand at that but had yet to discover anything that would end a war.

And Heather...she would make some inappropriate joke that if anyone else had said, they would have been in trouble, but of course she would have gotten away with it and had everyone laughing at the bizarreness of whatever it was. It would have been something that turned Ron's ear's red and had Hermione spluttering. She would have made everyone forget just for a moment, where they were, and the task ahead of them.

Ginny sure wished she was there just any small amount of stolen time to do that again, she so desperately needed it.

She opened her eyes and put on her night gown, stepping outside the divider and putting away her little mental games.

They didn't change the reality after all that none of them were with her, and one would never be again.

OoOoOo

"Your wound is almost healed, we should be able to apparate soon," Ginny observed, her voice strangled with false levity she was struggling to project.

Harry nodded, still staring out over the lake that they were beside, fed by the very stream that washed away Ginny's own tears the morning after _she _had died.

It was a beautiful lake, stretching out in a crystalline blue that reflected the sky back like a mirror, clear and undisturbed. More peaceful than she herself had felt in the two months they had been there.

Harry looked worse, large purple bruises stretching beneath his eyes from his refusal to sleep. He kept himself awake, many times painfully, to avoid the nightmares and visions he believed were waiting for him. The only sleep he had was the hours he finally just collapsed, the exhaustion too much for any human body.

His hair wasn't it usual boyish mess, but a flat, dead looking field of black atop his head. And his eyes seemed to have lost the shine they had always had.

"Have you...have you thought about—y'know...the horcruxes anymore?" Ginny asked timidly.

He flinched on the word, before he stance hardened, his jaw tightening.

"No. No I haven't."

She nodded, trying to find a flexibility in his steely tone. "We should probably start," she suggested quietly.

He laughed bitterly, the sound of it surprising her so that she turned to face him.

"You really think we have a prayer? Dumbledore didn't give us a mission, he a gave us a chance to go ahead and take the suicide I was always doomed for since I got this scar," He said gesturing to his forehead, his voice cracking with anger.

"And you—I'll neve believe in a higher power now, what could be so cruel to bind a nine year old girl, an innocent kid to me...to my fate," He continued, his voice breaking more as he looked at her through sad eyes, much older than they should have been at only twenty seven.

"That's it then?" Ginny asked, her temper flaring. She stood, placing her hands on her hips.

"You're just going to give up? Sit here and mope until _he_ finally comes to finish the job?" She spat out, her cheeks gaining color for the first time in a while. Her anger and frustration pouring out of her eyes in a dangerous glint.

His weeks of silence and depression had been killing her, and she couldn't take it anymore.

"What do want me to do? We both know I can't win." He asked deadly.

She was about to fire a retort at him when he went on.

"I think I could've lived with that...dying. It wouldn't have been so bad, but why fate hates me so much to make me drag you down with me—I'll _never _understand." He spat, a bitterness at the whole world lying beneath the skin.

She stood a little mesmerized by the sadness, the resignation and complete devastation in front of her.

"At least I _could've _died for Heather, for Sirius, or Ron and Hermione...any of them. But I can't even do that for you. I've always been marked by that fucking prophecy, it's ruined my whole life...And now...because I guess my parent's weren't enough for it—" he broke off bitterly, a barren amusement across his features, "—Now it's going to kill you too."

She sighed, some of her anger dissipating. Some of his avoidance and cold silences making the slightest bit more sense, but her understanding did not change the hurt brought by them.

"I'm not going to die Harry," she said quietly.

He turned, finally looking at her.

"You can't promise that." He said almost accusingly, as if she had taunted him with water as he crawled through a desert.

"Harry I—"

"He'll never stop hunting me. Even if I did take the coward's way out, he would track me. He would find me. I could live with that, I could be okay with dying—but you know how the bond works," he gave her that accusing look again.

She frowned, "That is true."

His shoulder slumped even more as if he had been hoping she would somehow deny it.

"But I wouldn't want to live very long without you anyway." She conceded placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You should," he said quietly.

"You deserve to, to go love some one your own age, have a family, life your life...you deserve that. You should be able to visit my grave from time to time, not have be buried beside me." He spoke softly but in their quiet surroundings, she heard every word. He was looking out across the water, his eyes never wavering from it's calm surface.

"Maybe," she shrugged. "But this is what we have. We don't have that, and sulking around isn't going to change it I think."

He looked over at her, "What am I supposed to do then? Just watch you die because of me...just like she and Mum did?"

Ginny shook her head, "They died because of _him_, not you. And they damn sure wouldn't want you to sit around here pathetically quitting on life because of it."

She got up, striding over purposely to the book bag and pulling out Dumbledore's journal of all he knew about the horcruxes.

"You want to do something Harry?" She asked, a dangerous edge to her voice as she stuffed the little black book into his hands.

She looked directly into his eyes, feeling a little bit more alive than she had since they fled the burrow.

"Fight. Or for Merlin's sake, at least _try _to!"

**Please Review.**

**Sorry for the delay in updating, some serious family issues have kept me busy lately and unable to write.**

**I will try to get the next chapter up soon.**

**That was a little depressing to write, and when I read over it, I was terribly frightened at how Edward-like Harry came off,(Sorry Edward fans) that was not my attention. I sincerely promise to write a dramatically more kick-ass Harry next chapter, and all the ones after that.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty**

Sometimes Ginny felt like she had never stopped being fourteen years old in regard to Harry. She knew it wasn't true, but when she blushed over the simplest most ridiculous things she couldn't help but feel that way some times.

"Hand me that lace wing," he muttered, his attention on the Polyjuice potion he was carefully stirring. She reached over and placed it in his hand, trying not to pay to much attention to even the barest contact she had with him while placing the lace wings in his hand.

Harry wasn't exactly muscular. He was still even at twenty seven had a very lanky thin build, but it was defined and certainly masculine with the sharp lines and wiry strength.

She hated it when he took his shirt off. She couldn't exactly blame him, mixing potions in the hot, humid summer weather was miserable. But she'd handed him the wrong ingredient three times already and it was starting to grate on her nerves, she simply couldn't concentrate.

The subject of their kiss hadn't exactly come up either, it had been almost two months since then...However, Harry had just finally come back to himself a week ago, and she couldn't claim that she had been receptive to those thoughts either in the past weeks. After everything that happened afterwards, the kiss and all the admissions with it had just faded away like some kind of half forgotten dream before the nightmare set in.

But lately she had found herself thinking about it more and more, and she wondered if she was alone in that. It had just gotten too difficult to think about all the other things...about _Heather. _So instead she had started thinking about how to find the horcruxes, but she couldn't think about that all the time without feeling overwhelmed, and that she supposed was how she ended up re-playing that scene before everything fell apart over and over again in her mind.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye to look at Harry and found him studying her as well. To her embarrassment the blush crept up in her cheeks once more but she refused to be beaten by it.

Swallowing and gathering her bravado she raised a questioning eyebrow.

He just shook his head and turned back to the potion, but she noted the small smile on his face.

She sighed, pushing the hair that had begun sticking slightly to her forehead back again. She wished the humidity would lessen but if anything it seemed to be growing worse as summer passed.

"There, it just needs to simmer for a while now," Harry said, shrugging and leaning back like she was away from the cauldron which, with it's fumes, just made the already oppressive summer heat worse.

"Good," she replied simply.

She laid further back until she was lying down in the grass completely, staring up at the sky. She felt rather than heard Harry do the same beside her.

They were both quiet a while has they enjoyed the pure blue of the sky that was punctuated with the fluffy white clouds like sheep dotting a strange field. Ginny couldn't help but marvel how peaceful it looked to reside over a world with such turmoil.

"I've been looking through Dumbledore's journal." She said quietly after a while. It wasn't necessary for her to talk loudly however, with the only sound being the soft bubbling of the cauldron, even her small mutter had been as clear as a shout.

She never took her eyes of the sky but she knew Harry had and was now facing her.

"Yeah?" He asked softly.

"I think I know where one might be..." She replied, finally turning her head to look at him where he was propped up on an elbow, looking down at her intently.

"There was this cave...you see when he—Tom, when Tom was at the orphanage, they used to take these trips sometimes...get out of London and all that." Her voice became even quieter, almost detached.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Harry lay back flat against the grass like she was and look up at the sky as well, his expression unreadable.

She cleared her throat and continued after regathering her thoughts.

"And one trip, well he and some two others separated from the group and they found this _cave. _But the other children, they were never the same when they came back." She finished in a whisper.

She was looking back at the blue sky again when he asked, but she heard his question nonetheless, his tone a mixture of disgust, pity and horror.

"How old was he?"

"Eight." She replied softly, feeling astonished at the thought as well, so _young _and already committing atrocities.

She turned her head to look at him, watching him swallow while he continued to simply gaze upward.

"Why—why would that be important to him? Surely he tortured so _many _over the years...why the cave?"

She shrugged, the movement feeling strange with the friction of the grass trying to halt it. "It must have been the first I suppose." She replied, looking away from Harry.

He sighed deeply beside her. "Well we should look into it then." Harry concluded.

She didn't respond, she knew it wasn't necessary.

"That cloud there looks a little like a lion, don't you think?" Harry asked after a while.

She looked hard at the sky but saw nothing but blobs, no real earthly shape was definable to her in any of them.

"Which one?" She asked, furrowing her brow.

"The one there," he replied, pointing off to the left.

In it she saw the vague outline of a what could have possibly been a beast with the most stretched imagination but not much else. She had never been one for cloud spotting—they simply all looked the same to her.

When she six years old she had tried to make friends with the muggle girls her age in Ottery St. Catchpole. Being so young and alone with her aging parents had gotten rather lonely and she had craved company from peers.

So with her best pig-tail braids in place she had started adventurously wondering down to the yards where the other little girls would play, after being expressly forbidden to mention anything magical.

For several weeks she had tried to become part of their clique, but although they were outwardly friendly she never felt like she was part of their group. Ginny however was tenacious, and she kept returning every day.

They would tell her their 'club,' they had formed couldn't accept anymore members even though it was just the four of them and they were completely in charge of every aspect of it. All it was anyway were their names written in a notebook with the title 'Our Club,' scrolled across the top in messy, undeveloped children's handwriting.

But that had not deterred Ginny. So soon they had given her tasks to complete if she had wanted to be part of their 'club'. Everytime they would tell her that if she just simply did this or that, then she could join. Using a combination of stubbornness and a hair of somewhat purposeful/accidental magic, she managed to complete everything they set before her but they always came up with more.

Finally when it seemed they had exhausted themselves with the petty things their five year old minds could create, they begrudgingly allowed her to scrawl_ ' ,' _beside their own names in the notebook.

It had been a proud moment for her, one she had thought would be a turning point. However being in the little club proved to be little fun, and often the things she would do to stay in it would leave her in trouble with her mother and soon she wondered why she had even bothered in the first place. It hadn't done much for her loneliness.

She had always hated trying to make shapes out of clouds. She just didn't see anything beyond the cloud and didn't particularly want to either.

Her new friends however hadn't felt the same way and when had told them she thought it was silly they had quickly turned on her and announced the was no longer part of the club since she was a 'stupid-face with no imaginitivity.'

She had fled with an angry shout over her shoulder that 'imaginitivity' wasn't a word.

She had run home angrily swiping at her tears and when her mother asked her what was wrong she had spat out something nasty about all muggles in general which earned her a spanking and long time out where instead of real remorse she simply stewed over the unfairness of it all. Her father had had a long talk with her when he came out about how simply because she was unhappy with a few girls she could not dislike billions of people indiscriminately. She had apologized and that had been the end of it, she had not ventured into Ottery St. Catchpole again until she was older and sent on errands by her mother.

Still, it had made her dislike trying to make shapes out of clouds even more for now every-time she tried the while memory came back to her. And although it had been years and she felt immature for being angry about something that had happened to her as a five year old, she still could feel a bubbling annoyance in the pit of her stomach when she thought about it.

It just brought back all the memories of how alone she had felt when she had been that little, and all the memories of times after that she had felt the same way.

"...Ginny? Ginny?"

"Hmm?" She turned her head to face Harry who was looking at her strangely.

"Are you okay? You just, you looked a little lost."

"I'm fine," she replied hollowly.

He looked back up at the sky seeming unconvinced.

"So do you see it?" He asked.

"See what?" She replied, her response a little short but he seemed not to notice.

At Hogwarts during her second year when people had still been giving her strange looks about the chamber incident, she had been sitting out by the lake one time just staring into the surface of the water.

_She and Gwen's relationship still seemed shaky, sometimes they were the best of friends and others it felt like the beginning of their first year again. Gwen would still revert back to her snotty aristocratic facade at times and Ginny would still take her words the wrong way and immediately act defensive at times. It had been something it had taken both of them a while to overcome. _

_Gwen loved to stare at the clouds and try to make something out of them. _

"_That one there looks just like the Green's family crest," she exclaimed rather dramatically._

_Ginny just rolled her eyes but unfortunately Gwen saw the gesture. _

"_You don't think so?" She had asked, racing an eyebrow almost in a challenge._

_Ginny balked, not liking being put on the spot in front of Sylvia, Helen and Susan as well. She was still getting to know them after the mess she had made of her first year and none of their friendships were something she felt confident or comfortable in. _

"_I wouldn't know." She had mumbled, ducking her head and shrugging._

"_Well you should you know, it's important, things like that. If I hadn't learned—" She had began. _

"_Well I didn't have some blood purist family to teach me these things," she replied bitingly. _

_The other four girls had been taken aback and all turned to look at her then. _

"_You know Ginny, those aren't just things for death eaters to learn. Knowing those kind of things is just important in our society," Sylvia replied a bit snappishly._

_Ginny opened her mouth but nothing came out. She knew they had a point but her pride would not let her back down and she felt an angry embarrassed red starting to spread over her entire face. _

"_Well—You—I—" She began, searching for words. Memories of her five-almost six year old-refection began replaying in her mind while they all looked at her expectantly. _

"_It's jut a blob is all it is! Absolutely no crest and you—you're all a bunch of morons!" She shouted defensively. _

_Gwen had scoffed and hurried off, Syvlia and Susan following in a similar manner while Helen shot her a look of confusion and a little hurt while she slowly departed as if she was reluctant to leave but felt the others were right. _

_Ginny had turned, her eyes burning a little with tears she wouldn't shed while she looked out over the lake. Why did they always have to push her like that? She thought angrily. They were always acting surprised when she didn't known who someone's great, great, great Grandfather was and it really irritated her sometimes. It made her feel...stupid and like she didn't belong. And she already felt that way enough when she sat down at the Slytherin table in her Weasley red hair. Why did they have to go and make it worse? She wondered angrily. _

"_It just looks like a big white blob to me, but maybe I'm as unimaginative as Snivellus is always accusing me of being." A voice interrupted her, she turned to see Heather sitting not too far away, flipping through a book with her new glasses nearly sliding off her nose while she leaned back against a tree. Her posture was her usual one of casual boredom that Ginny thought she must have somehow learned from Sirius for no one could hold that countenance quite so well as them. _

_Ginny shrugged back to her, nodding a little in agreement. _

"_It's stupid, trying to make shapes out of clouds," she retorted angrily._

_Heather just shrugged, taking her glasses off and folding them away to place in her pocket. _

"_A lot of people think Quidditch is stupid." She stated blandly._

_Ginny looked at her in shock and opened her mouth to retort but Heather held up a hand asking her to wait, and she did. _

"_I'm not saying that they're right. I think sitting around trying to make shapes out of air or whatever the bloody hell clouds are, really should have paid more attention in muggle science—" she broke off muttering. "—but that doesn't mean it is for everybody I guess. Each is to own and all that jazz." _

_Ginny looked back at the lake, "I guess."_

_Heather picked up a pebble that was sitting beside her and flung it at the lake where it sunk on contact without a single skip._

"_That was a fail," Ginny muttered, watching the ripples it had made disappear. _

"_Maybe I didn't want it to skip. Maybe I just needed to throw something for the severe anger management problems I have. All the pent up frustration released into one small rock. Keeps me from murdering Snivellus..." She invented wildly, an expression of mock concentration. _

_Ginny rolled her eyes but grinned weakly. _

"_You sure do roll those eyes of yours a lot these days," Heather commented dryly. _

"_Wonder where I got that from," Ginny replied, giving her a pointed look._

"_Harry," Heather answered automatically with another shrug like it was an obvious conclusion. _

"_Yes, that's who's fault it is," Ginny retorted sarcastically._

"_I just like to blame everything on Harry. It rained yesterday and I stubbed my toe while doing a victory dance after class let out...stupid Harry." _

_Ginny looked over at her incredulously, "Why were you doing a victory dance after class?" _

"_I finally managed to frame Mulciber for something and get McGonagall to give him detention," she replied casually._

"_Heather! You're supposed to be a teacher—sort of." _

"_Eh, he deserves it, so I don't feel all that bad. In fact, I don't feel bad at all." _

_Ginny shook her head and their conversation lulled for a moment. _

"_You were kind of a bitch, a little bit, that brunette did start it though I think. But they'll probably forget about it, and if they don't then they're not good friends to have anyways." Heather replied after a while. _

"_You think?" Ginny asked a little worriedly._

_Heather smiled at her and—_

"Ginny? Did you hear me?" Harry interrupted her flashback.

"What?" She snapped at him, her breathing strangely heavy and her eyes stinging. She felt a terrible ache in her chest that felt like a weight had been pressed there and could never be taken away.

Harry gestured toward the sky again at the cloud. "The lion do you see it?"

She looked back up, the outline blurry from the tears in her eyes. She still didn't see a lion anywhere.

"You know Harry, I really don't give a damn." She said raggedly as she rolled onto her feet and started running as she tried to find a release.

Unfortunately there wasn't very far she could go. She reached the shore of the lake about a hundred feet from where they had been and sunk to her knees.

She let her anger consume her, deciding to focus on it instead of the grief. It was easier that way.

How dare he? He shuts down for weeks and weeks, leaving her virtually alone and then he finally comes back to himself a little bit and of all the irrelevant and stupid things, he wants to talk about the bloody clouds with her? How dare he? She thought incensed, digging her fingernails in the sand. She ignored the more rational thoughts that argued Harry couldn't have known about the memories she had of such a seemingly benign practice. And it wasn't right on her to be so hard on him, he had lost a sister after all.

But she had too hadn't she? And where had he been for her lately? Unreachable. He had abandoned her with his shell of a body. Didn't he care about how she felt?

Part of her felt wrong for thinking that, felt like she was being selfish. But these thoughts had been festering for a while and finally she couldn't clamp down on them any longer.

Harry hadn't been there for her. And she had decided that that was okay, and she had tried to understand and put her own grief aside. But only...it wasn't okay dammit. It wasn't okay. She wasn't okay.

oOoOo

Ginny wandered back after dark, she had been absently walking up and down the beach for hours and she felt exhausted.

She stuck her head in the tent tentatively and looked around. Harry was sitting in the corner, reading with dark circles under his eyes.

He sensed her entrance however for he looked up immediately, his head snapping up so quickly she worried he had hurt his neck. His expression screamed uncertainty as he regarded her warily as if she might erupt at any moment. She stepped in and bit back a sigh of annoyance, she figured she had brought the treatment on herself after-all.

Her face flushed as she thought of her angry departure.

"Hi," She said quietly turning to face him. Her guilt at having bolted off on him was eating at her a bit. She had felt furious at him for how he had acted the past two months, and she still did somewhere inside her, but she also knew it wasn't exactly fair of her considering the circumstances. But she couldn't help but feel that way and combined with all the grief and stress, it just seemed entirely overwhelming.

All these analyzations of her emotions rolled through her head as she waited for a response, he however just kept staring at her with the same tentative expression.

There was an awkward silence until he blurted out suddenly, "Is it that..._time of the month?"_

Ginny's face flooded with color and she stared at him, her mouth falling open slightly. A reprimand was on the tip of her tongue when the laughter started bubbling out hysterically in great gasping bouts that stole her breath.

Harry looked positively bewildered. "Are you alright?" He asked carefully.

"I...can't...believe...you...asked...that!" She got out between giggles. She sighed, sitting down beside him on the cot.

A few more giggles came tumbling out before she could stop them. She wasn't sure why, it wasn't even really that funny, but she found she couldn't help herself.

Harry was looking positively frightened, he seemed to think she had gone mad. She didn't blame him, she thought she might have too.

"Of all the insensitive things to ask," She finally muttered, but there was a smile on her face as she shook her head.

"...you sounded like _Ron_," She said, her voice incredulous.

"Please _don't _tell me we're going to become like Ron and Hermione?" She continued, rambling onward.

Harry still looked confused by the turn of the conversation but his features seemed to relax somewhat at the more lighthearted topic.

"I don't think so," he replied, trying and failing to be casual with his tone but she ignored it like the hesitation had never happened and there wasn't a strange sad quality behind the facade he tried to project.

"I couldn't take all the bickering. It would drive me insane." She continued, her voice much the same as his, trying too hard to make it seem like everything was fine outside of their tent.

Harry gave her a jokingly pointed look as if to say, 'already there,' but then his face immediately fell as if he was worried he had overstepped a line.

Seeing this Ginny was quick to slap him lightly on the shoulder in a joking manner and send him a comically exaggerated affronted look that lost it's effect with her smile, which was a bit forced and exhausted but worked nonetheless.

"I still can't believe you asked that though, I remember all your blushing and stuttering when you marched me over to...Heather when I was twelve." She hesitated a little before she said the name, but reminded herself bracingly that they couldn't go a life-time never speaking of her again. And The silence was too loud and gave her too much room to think, she was determined to fill it even if it was with overused stories and recycled conversations.

"I was twenty two! I was not about to try to explain _that _to you, I didn't understand exactly—I still don't understand exactly...you know I don't want to understand..._ever_." Harry finished, nodding as if to make it more final.

"You could have said something! I though I was dying!" Ginny said, laughing a little at the memory.

"I remember." Harry replied dryly with a shudder. She slapped him on the shoulder again lightly, leaning closer until she could rest her head there.

It was quiet then but she decided to let it be, she was too tired to think hard enough to figure out what to say.

Her eyes hurt and were swollen from crying so long and she really just wanted to fall asleep. Her body felt warm and comfortable although there was still that weight that seemed to never leave her chest which made breathing seem harder than it should.

Her last thought before she nodded off was a wish that she and Harry were at the burrow with their family all around them.

**Please Review**

**Sorry for the delay, will not happen again. Not an action packed chapter but where it felt natural to cut it off. I originally had it continued much longer but it felt too drawn out. The next chapter will be posted early next week since it is largely already written from what was going to be in this chapter. It will be a longer chapter than this one as well. I did feel though that this chapter was necessary though even if it lacked some of the excitement, but no fear, I have plenty of action coming up soon. **


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